LEPRALIA. 311 



Hab. On Pecten opera/Claris, coast of Ayrshire, D. L. 



Dr. Johnston, in doing me the honour of dedicating this 

 Lepralia specifically to me, accompanies the compliment 

 with language dictated by all the partiality of friendship. 

 " Laudari a laudato" would be very sweet, were there not a 

 depressing sense of great shortcomings. When on another 

 occasion a friend had given the specific name of Landsburgii 

 to a shell, I said jestingly to the friend who told me of it, 

 "Is it possible to sail far down the stream of time in a 

 scallop ?" " Yes," was the reply, " the name that is written 

 on Nature will be had in remembrance, when sceptres are 

 broken, and thrones overturned, and dynasties have passed 

 away/' The humble name in question is so faintly in- 

 scribed, that the rough wave of time will soon totally efface 

 it ; but there is a higher and more permanent honour that 

 we should all supremely court, that our names be written 

 in the book of life ; then, when the sun, and the moon, and 

 the stars are darkened, we shall shine with the brightness of 

 the firmament for ever and ever. 



I have never seen this Lepralia since the specific name 

 was given to it. Two specimens were found ; one was sent 

 by me to Dr. Johnston, and the other lost before he had 

 time to examine and name the one sent. I attempted to 



