PREFACE. 



HHHIS memoir had its inception in an attempt to clear 

 1 up certain matters connected with the synonymy of 

 a large and important group of fresh -water mollusks 

 the UnionidcB, A number of very remarkable facts con 

 nected with the personality of its subject were thus 

 incidentally learned. As the collation of data proceeded 

 the facts gathered seemed of sufficient importance to 

 group them for presentation to the literary and scientific 

 world, in the hope that a better and more intelligent 

 understanding of this eccentric naturalist might result. 

 A number of impressions were forced upon my attention 

 as the work proceeded; among other conclusions reached 

 was the one that Rafinesque had not been treated always 

 fairly by his contemporaries. Resulting from this was 

 the conviction that many naturalists now living have 

 formed opinions concerning the nature and value of 

 Rafinesque s work, which appear to me to be quite 

 erroneous. In the hope that some of these misappre 

 hensions might- be corrected the task of writing his 

 life, which is quite a labor of love, was undertaken. 



THF. 



UHIVEB8ITI 



