Memoir of Charles Alexander Lesueur. 211 



phers, St. Bartholomew, St. Eustatia, St Thomas, St. Johns, St. 

 Croix, with some of the inferior islands. The marine animals 

 of these regions afforded ample employment for Lesueur; and 

 among the fishes and the mollusca he gathered a rich harvest. 



In the latter part of the Spring of 1816, Messieurs Maclure 

 and Lesueur arrived in the United States from St. Croix, and 

 immediately set out on their travels through New York, New 

 Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island. Massachusetts, 

 and Connecticut. They finally established themselves perma- 

 nently in Philadelphia, where Mr. Maclure was formerly domicil- 

 iated, when engaged in the active pursuits of a commercial life. 



The habits of the Americans, particularly their domestic econ- 

 omy, do not always make a favorable impression upon the mind 

 of a native of France, especially when he comes among us with- 

 out a knowledge of the English language. Mr. Lesueur, how- 

 ever, had no reason to be dissatisfied with his transatlantic resi- 

 dence. His reputation had preceded him; and the cordial wel- 

 come which he received from the most distinguished men of sci- 

 ence of the city, could not be otherwise than grateful to one who 

 knew how to appreciate such disinterested kindness. The Amer- 

 ican Philosophical Society lost no time in enrolling him among 

 its members; and the following year, 1818, he was elected into 

 the Academy of Natural Sciences, and became one of the most 

 efficient supporters of that rising Institution. 



The branch of natural history which chiefly attracted the at- 

 tention of M. Lesueur, when in the United States, was Ichthy- 

 ology. In Botany and Ornithology much had been done by 

 American Naturalists; but the fishes, which constitute an im- 

 portant item in our commercial statistics, had been in a measure 

 overlooked; at least the few essays which appeared from time to 

 time, on this subject, only served to render the deficiency more 

 apparent. A systematic work, therefore, upon the Fishes of North 

 America, became a leading object with Lesueur; and the means 

 for the accomplishment of it increased so rapidly as to justify the 

 expectations of the friends of natural science of seeing it carried 

 into effect. But a coadjutor was wanting in this enterprise, one 

 ^hose literary acquirements should enable him to give that con- 

 sistency to the materials of the naturalist, without which they 

 would be of but little avail. A competent associate, then, not 

 being attainable, the project remained in embryo. A foretaste, 

 however, of these rich materials, was occasionally given in the 

 Transactions of various learned Institutions. Of these opuscules 

 I shall speak in the sequel. . , , 



Mr, Lesueur, at the instance of several individuals, who were 

 desirous of profiting by his skill in natural history painting, gave 

 them a series of lessons, at his private residence. He also taught 

 the elements of drawing to the pupils of two respectable female 

 seminaries of Philadelphia- His increased income, by these means, 



