io2 The Life and Writings of 



In respect to land shells Rafinesque s names have 

 fared far better. A number of his genera are still 

 recognized, and are in common nse. Since most or all 

 of the work which he did in this branch was nnique 

 for its time, and since his aptitude for forming generic 

 names was most happy in the matter of the choice of 

 the terminology employed, it is with pleasure that one 

 chronicles the fact that many yet stand in the various 

 systems. Among them are Triodopsis, Mesodon, Steno- 

 trema, and Mesomphix, all of which are happy expres 

 sions of conchologic facts. 



Considered as a whole the conchologic work of Raf- 

 inesque was remarkably well done. The forms on 

 which he based his nomenclature were not myths, but 

 were actually under observation. If some of them must 

 be abandoned, it is in keeping with the rules of priority 

 most rigidly applied; some are names given to groups 

 that had already been characterized, but the fact was 

 unknown to their author. He, first among many, suc 

 ceeded in regrouping, in some rational and natural 

 manner, forms of most divergent character that before 

 had constituted heterogeneous assemblages; he was, in 

 this matter, far ahead of his contemporaries, and the 

 fact must ever remain as a singular proof of his acumen. 



