Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. 129 



MEDALS, DIPLOMAS, AND OTHER HONORS. 



The scientific work of Rafinesque earned for him 

 recognition from many learned societies. Among them 

 were the Academies of Science of Zurich, Vienna, and 

 Bruxelles; the Reale Accademia delle Scienze, e Belle 

 Lettere, Naples; Societe de Geographic, Paris; the Ly 

 ceum of Natural History, New York; the Literary and 

 Philosophical Society, New York ; the Medical Society of 

 Lexington, Kentucky ; the Medical Society of Cincinnati, 

 Ohio; and other lesser organizations. The earliest one 

 of these to confer membership, or a diploma, on him 

 was the Natura Curiosorum, of Bonn. Rafmesque says 

 that this society conferred on him the degree of Doctor 

 Catesby, i. e., named him to fill the position styled for, 

 or in honor of, that celebrated traveler.* The Societe 

 de Geographic gave him its gold medal, in 1832, for 

 two memoirs on &quot;The Primitive Negroes of Asia and 

 North America&quot;, but these essays were never published. f 



*This was Mark Catesby, English naturalist, born about 1680, died in 

 1749. He was the author of an early work on the zoology of America, 

 published under the title, &quot; The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and 

 the Bahama Islands, &c.&quot; London, 1731-1743. 



tThe present whereabouts of this medal is unknown. In 1876 it was in 

 possession of Doctor William Kent Gilbert, of Philadelphia. An illustration 

 of it may be seen on page 99 of Potters American Monthly, Vol. VI, No. 50, 



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