220 PIONEERS OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA. 



possessed, and the discrimination he exercised in selecting the 

 important features of the form before him, his work has never 

 caused that confusion in synonymy which many in much more 

 favourable circumstances have produced. 



Say's work was almost wholly the scientific description of 

 the forms which came under his eye, and there is scarcely any- 

 thing in his writings concerning the habits of animals, or which 

 appeals in the slightest to the popular taste. Having been 

 intolerant of literary studies in his youth, he never attained 

 to a happy command of language. An extract from his Amer- 

 ican Entomology will illustrate this : " During the progress 

 of Major Long's expedition up the Missouri, that enterprising 

 and excellent officer intrusted me with the direction of a small 

 party of thirteen persons, destined to explore the country on 

 the south side of that extended river. After encountering 

 many obstacles and privations, which it is unnecessary to enu- 

 merate, the party arrived at the village of the Konza Indians, 

 hungry, fatigued, and out of health. Commiserating our situ- 

 ation, these sons of Nature, although suffering under the injus- 

 tice of white people, received us with their characteristic hos- 

 pitality, and ameliorated our condition by the luxuries of re- 

 pletion and repose. Whilst sitting in the large earth-covered 

 dwelling of the principal chief, in presence of several hundred 

 of his people, assembled to view the arms, equipments, and 

 appearance of our party, I enjoyed the additional gratification 

 to see an individual of this fine species of Blaps running 

 toward us from the feet of the crowd. The act of impaling 

 this unlucky fugitive at once conferred upon me the respectful 

 and mystic title of ' medicine man ' from the superstitious faith 

 of that simple people." 



Say's two principal works, published separately, were his 

 American Entomology in three volumes (Philadelphia, 1824- 

 1828), with fifty-four coloured plates ; and his American Con- 

 chology, of which only six parts appeared previous to his death. 

 Two volumes of the former appeared before the author went 

 to New Harmony and a third volume three years after; it was 

 then left uncompleted. The work on entomology was a credit 

 to himself and to the printer, while almost the only merit pos- 

 sessed by the latter work was the fine plates from the pencil 

 of Mrs. Say. Mr. Say's other published papers will be found 

 in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- 



