552 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



Among tlie manuscripts of Professor Poey, with the title of "Co- 

 rona Poeyana," is a list which he is sometimes fond of contemplating, 

 of the species of animals which were first made known by him. This 

 list is a long one, longer perhaps than that of any other zoologist of 

 our times who has confined his studies to a single fauna. 



It is a fashion in some quarters to decry the work of the describer 

 of new fauna. All honest study has its equal place, and, till the pio- 

 neer work of exact determination of species is performed, there is lit- 

 tle opportunity for the embryologist or the anatomist. It is of little 

 use to record the structure or the development of an animal while the 

 animal itself remains unknown. 



There is no characteristic of Professor Poey's work more striking 

 than his entire lack of prejudice, or, in other words, his teachableness. 

 A certain zoologist was once described to me by Dr. Kirtland as " a 

 little man who couldn't be told anything." His character was in this 

 regard just the reverse of that of Professor Poey. Among all the emi- 

 nent zoologists of our time, I know of none so ready to learn, whatever 

 the source from which information may come. He has no theories 

 which he is not ready to set aside when a better suggestion appears. 

 Unlike some other systematic writers, he exhibits no preference for his 

 own names or subdivisions, but is as ready, if the evidence seems to 

 require it, to smother one of his own species or genera as those of an- 

 other. 



His work shows no sign of falling off in quality. The clearness of 

 his judgment and the accuracy of his memory seem unimpaired. It 

 is difficult in conversing with him to realize that he was born in the 

 last century, and that in his earlier studies he was a cotemporary of 

 Cuvier and Valenciennes, and of Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. Most men are 

 older at fifty than Poey at eighty-five. 



Poey was married in 1825 to Maria de Jesus Aguirre. He has had 

 six children. Two of his daughters still reside with him at Havana, 

 and their skillful hands have been of great service to him in the prepa- 

 ration of his drawings and manuscripts. 



Poey is rather above the medium height, well-formed, and in his 

 younger days he was remarkably active and vigorous. Even yet, 

 time rests lightly on his shoulders. His complexion is fair, and his 

 hair and eyes are not dark. He has -little of the appearance of a Span- 

 iard or indeed of any especial nationality. As he himself has said, 

 " Comme naturaliste, je ne suis pas espagnol : je suis cosmopolite." 

 He is of a happy temperament and has a peculiarly genial and cheery 

 smile. Simple, direct, unaffected, but possessed of a quiet dignity, he 

 is certainly one of the most delightful men I have ever met. Of all 

 men I have known, he has best learned the art of growing old. 



