Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. 93 



Magazine ; these species were not always kept distinctly 

 in inind by Rafinesque. The result is a blending of 

 characters and names that has caused very much con 

 fusion among students of American fresh-water fishes. 

 Add to these the forms, described as new or made the 

 basis of new genera, that had been &quot; communicated by 

 Mr. Audubon&quot; and the chief elements of uncertainty 

 are understood. 



Numerous attempts have been made to determine the 

 exact fishes which Rafinesque had before him in writing 

 his notes; of these a record of varying success has been 

 made. President Jordan, Messrs. Copeland, Girard, Cope, 

 and L,. Agassiz, at different times and for different rea 

 sons, have attempted to settle these matters. While the 

 results are not altogether satisfactory, many names have 

 been definitively fixed; while a few others have been 

 abandoned. Among the latter are the names of the 

 fictitious fishes, the drawings and descriptions of which 

 Mr. Audubon had given to Rafinesque &quot; for a practical 

 joke&quot;, victimizing all future science far more than they 

 did Rafinesque.* 



Professor Louis Agassiz wrote,f in 1854: 



&quot;Nothing is more to be regretted for the progress of natural 

 history in this country than that Rafinesque did not put up some- 



*A list of these forms will be found on page 29, antea, in foot-note. 

 ~\Vide American Journal of Science, 2d series, Vol. XVII, p. 354. 



