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  [^ 
  Panama 
  Shells. 
  introduction. 
  

  

  next 
  day 
  we 
  rode 
  to 
  Panama, 
  where 
  I 
  soon 
  found 
  myself 
  

   at 
  home 
  in 
  the 
  American 
  Hotel.* 
  Before 
  8 
  A. 
  M\ 
  of 
  the 
  next 
  

   Jay, 
  shells 
  had 
  been 
  collected 
  in 
  such 
  quantity 
  and 
  variety, 
  

   that, 
  had 
  nothing 
  more 
  been 
  subsequently 
  collected, 
  the 
  re- 
  

   sults 
  of 
  the 
  expedition 
  would 
  have 
  seemed 
  ample. 
  

  

  The 
  objects 
  proposed 
  to 
  be 
  accomplished, 
  during 
  a 
  few 
  

   weeks 
  at 
  Panama, 
  were 
  the 
  following 
  : 
  

  

  1. 
  To 
  make 
  collections 
  for 
  the 
  Museum 
  in 
  Amherst 
  Col- 
  

   lege. 
  The 
  original 
  plan 
  had 
  embraced 
  the 
  Crustacea, 
  Radiata, 
  

   and 
  other 
  animals, 
  but 
  the 
  short 
  time 
  to 
  be 
  devoted 
  to 
  it, 
  and 
  

   especially 
  the 
  impossibility 
  of 
  making 
  suitable 
  preparation 
  

   during 
  the 
  few 
  hours, 
  which 
  were 
  allowed 
  for 
  this 
  purpose, 
  

   rendered 
  it 
  expedient 
  to 
  restrict 
  the 
  objects 
  mainly 
  to 
  the 
  col- 
  

   lection 
  of 
  shells. 
  

  

  2. 
  A 
  second 
  object 
  was 
  to 
  ascertain, 
  with 
  the 
  certainty 
  

   of 
  personal 
  observation, 
  what 
  and 
  how 
  many 
  species 
  of 
  shells 
  

   exist 
  at 
  Panama. 
  Having 
  formerly 
  collected 
  about 
  500 
  ma- 
  

   rine 
  species 
  in 
  Jamaica, 
  near 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  Caribbean 
  Zoo- 
  

   logical 
  province, 
  it 
  was 
  thought 
  that 
  a 
  comparison 
  of 
  these 
  au- 
  

   thentic 
  materials 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  without 
  interest. 
  These 
  two 
  

   were 
  the 
  principal 
  objects 
  of 
  the 
  expedition. 
  

  

  3. 
  A 
  subordinate 
  object 
  was 
  to 
  make 
  some 
  observations 
  on 
  

   the 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  species, 
  in 
  respect 
  of 
  station. 
  Mr. 
  Cuming's 
  

   careful 
  explorations 
  had 
  left 
  but 
  little 
  to 
  be 
  added, 
  but 
  that 
  

   little 
  is 
  therefore 
  perhaps 
  the 
  more 
  valuable. 
  This 
  knowledge 
  

   was 
  also 
  a 
  necessary 
  preliminary 
  to 
  the 
  acquisition 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  specimens 
  as 
  would 
  fully 
  illustrate 
  the 
  varieties, 
  

   which 
  may 
  exist 
  within 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  a 
  species. 
  But 
  these 
  

   observations, 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  extended 
  to 
  the 
  pelagic 
  species 
  

   on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  enormous 
  expense 
  of 
  boating 
  consequent 
  on 
  

  

  * 
  "With 
  James 
  C. 
  Staples, 
  Esq 
  , 
  the 
  proprietor, 
  an 
  old 
  acquaintance 
  and 
  con- 
  

   nection, 
  who 
  with 
  his 
  partner, 
  myself, 
  and 
  all 
  my 
  Mollusks, 
  occupied 
  as 
  comfort, 
  

   able 
  an 
  apartment 
  as 
  the 
  place 
  could 
  furnish. 
  

  

  