REMINISCENCES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. 299 



most familiar to us ; and the beautiful shells — univalve and others — from their extremely 

 attractive colors and shapes, were sure to be cared for by sailors and visitors of foreign climes, 

 and taken home as interesting mementoes. So with the more common species of our shores. 

 The exterior of these animals, the shells, were favorite objects ; and large collections were 

 made by individuals, most of whom were simply collectors who arranged them, more or less 

 in accordance with the simple classification, as Land shells and Fresh-water shells, and as uni- 

 valves and bivalves. 



In the early part of the present century, the French nation associated scientific objects 

 with their expeditions. Napoleon's Egyptian campaign notably resulted in calling forth emi- 

 nent scientists ; and the fine works of these men became important aids to the advancement 

 of natural science. 



It was near the middle of this century before the aspiring student in our country could, 

 without difficulty and expense, procure published literature on the invertebrates relating to 

 our own marine forms. 



In 1841, Dr. Augustus A. Gould, of Boston, submitted for publication a "Report on the 

 Invertebrata of Massachusetts.' ' This was one of a series of reports of surveys ordered by the 

 State. The matter is contained in an octavo volume, and is very nearly wholly devoted to the 

 Mollusca, or Shell-fish ; Dr. Gould being at the time one of the notable American students in 

 that branch. It is now, as it was then, a matter of pride to New Englanders that such an 

 excellent work was produced. The copper-plate figures of each species can never be excelled 

 in fidelity to outline and artistic finish as etchings. This was a gratifying commencement. 

 The author of these introductory lines well remembers the barren field existing at this time. 

 Our school-boy friend, William Stimpson, whose name is enrolled among the pioneers and 

 effective laborers in the various divisions of Invertebrata, was then the enthusiastic learner ; 

 joyous to seeming absurdity at sharing our small collection of local marine objects. There 

 lived at this time in Boston an old gentleman, Mr. John Warren, whose occupation was, in the 

 reality, proprietor of a ''curiosity shop," but whose tastes and education led him to the study 

 of Mollusca and mineralogy. Primarily, he w T as a veritable Grandfather Trent, whose com- 

 mercial requirements were secondary to considerations of taste and science. This was to us a 

 charming resort. The delightful old gentleman was then near eighty years of age. He was of 

 English birth, and impressed us as a courteous gentleman of the old school. He was emi- 

 nently a handsome man, and, though many years a trader in his wares, he never lost the 

 kindly, friendly manner of dealing with us, that subsists between students embued with the 

 true spirit of science. At eighty, he was our companion — boys, as we were, with few deside- 

 rata in our minds greater than the speedy approach of every half-holiday. To meet at Mr. 

 Warren's and arrange for a tour of Chelsea Beach, or dredging off Nahant, was the all-absorb- 

 ing theme during many of these early years. When Mr. Warren could arrange to join us, 

 there was a third party equally joyous, when ranging the beaches was the order, in view of 

 our old friend's infirmities. 



While recalling this period, we have before us an old letter-book, in which we have care- 

 fully filed away for preservation many choice letters — the volume, now well swollen and 

 embracing the signatures of the most eminent of European and' American zoologists — but we 

 recur with sentiments of peculiar nature to the few whose earlier age is suggested by the seal- 

 ing-wax and the wafer. Such an one bears the signature of William Stimpson, and carries 

 upon its face suggestions of the school-room. These half-holidays of my young friend were 

 coveted periods in the discipline of the Cambridge High School, and most economically were 

 they husbanded. Under date of year 1848, Stimpson writes : "Mr. Warren informs me that 

 you are going to Chelsea Beach on Saturday to collect some of the spoils of the late storm. 

 If you please, I would like to accompany you. ... I will bring down my dredge and 

 thirty fathoms of line, when we may take a dory and drag around Nahant and Point Shirley." 



It is interesting to know that this was some of the first work of the kind done in our coun- 

 try. Some of our Salem friends w r ere also early in the field, most notably Putnam and Dr. 

 Wheatland. In that delightful old neighboring town of seven-gabled houses lived another 

 old gentleman naturalist, Mr. Joseph True, genial and kindly, and possessed of all the virtues 



