23, THE NAUTILUS. 
able to it. In Jamaica it will probably remain confined to the 
higher altitudes. 
Institute of Jamaica, April 13, 1893. 
A REPLY TO PROFESSOR WHEELER. 
I think that quite enough has been said on the subject of the 
Unio muddle in the columns of the Naurius, and I do not want to 
revive the subject. But there are one or two suggestive points in 
Professor Wheeler’s note in the May number that I want to call 
attention to. 
While a Congress of American conchologists might be able to 
settle certain contested points in nomenclature, if their work did not 
come into too glaring opposition to certain established laws recog- 
nized by scientific societies in general, yet I believe it is impossible 
for any such body to straighten out the muddle of specific limits, or 
perhaps, in all cases, the relations of one species to another. I 
believe that an expert, a specialist who has devoted years to the 
loving study of a family or genus, is better qualified to judge on 
these points than any body of students, no matter how capable they 
may be otherwise, but who probably have only a mere smattering of 
the matter in question. 
C. B. Adams and Dr. Gould ranked easily among the ablest 
conchologists in the world, but who can doubt that Mr. Lea, or 
James Lewis were better qualified to judge on the nice distinctions 
of the Unionidae, or that Dr. Newcomb was more competent to 
arrange the Achatinellas, or that Dr. Dall has a better knowledge 
of deep sea Mollusks than did either of these? Because these men 
have made life studies of these subjects, while the others were not 
specially interested in them. 
A specialist who works on a difficult or puzzling group, goes over 
his work again and again, putting it aside when he tires of it, and 
taking it up when the mind is rested. He patiently and lovingly 
labors over the most minute and obscure points that to most students 
would be of little or no interest, because his heart is in the work and 
he is thoroughly determined to master the whole subject. As a rule, 
his collecting is largely done in the direction of his hobby, and he 
therefore has more material to work on than one slightly inter- 
ested. He eagerly reads all literature relating to his work, and in 
time, if his judgment is well balanced, he becomes an authority. 
