538 VARIETIES. 



city, in which many departments of natural science were 

 successfully cultivated, and extensively enriched by his obser- 

 vations and discoveries. Our lamented friend had recently 

 devoted much of his time to the publication of his work on 

 American Conchology, elucidated by expensive plates. He 

 might have continued thus usefully employed for many years, 

 had not the climate on the Wabash proved injurious to his 

 health. He repeatedly suffered from attacks of fever and 

 dysenteric affections, by which a constitution originally robust 

 and inured to hardship materially suffered. A letter announcing 

 the sad catastrophe, which deprived society of one of its 

 worthiest members, and science of one of its brightest orna- 

 ments, informs us, that Mr. Say suffered another attack of this 

 disorder similar to that by which his constitution had already 

 been shattered, about the 1st of October ; on the 8th, the hopes 

 of his friends were flattered by a deceitful calm ; on the day 

 following, these hopes were chilled ; he appeared sinking under 

 debility; when, on the 10th, death came over him like a 

 summer cloud. He died intestate, and without issue, but left 

 with his wife verbal directions relative to the final disposition 

 of his library and cabinet of natural history." Our readers 

 who are acquainted with the present state of society in Anierica, 

 who know that the spirit of the United States is essentially 

 commercial, not scientific, will see much to admire in the 

 course of Thomas Say, and will not fail to join with us in 

 shedding a tear of sympathy on his early grave. 



59. Brachinus crepitans. — I was wandering with Mr. 

 Marshall over the chalky fields in the neighbom-hood of Box- 

 hill, in September last, when we found that almost every flint 

 contained beneath it specimens of Brachinus crepitans. As I 

 put them, one after another, into my spirit bottle, the little 

 bombadiers fired away, as they sank in the spirits, each about 

 four " pops," every pop being easily felt, like a slight electric 

 shock, by the hand which grasped the bottle ; a small bladder 

 of air ascended with every pop. We hunted most assiduously 

 for Licinus, without finding a single specimen of either species. 

 Mr. Bennett, who had been over the ground a fortnight before, 

 was equally unsuccessful in this respect. 



E. N. D. 



