Eminent Naturalists. 26 



and settled not far from the City of Brotherly Love. On the 

 second of March, 1792, their fifth son was born, while they were 

 living in Wilmington, Del. They gave him the scriptural name, 

 Isaac, and thus began the life which was destined to become so 

 eminent, and which was to contribute so much to the scientific 

 interests of this young country. 



Isaac's father, James Lea, was a merchant, and from him he 

 derived his business ideas; but his mother was a great lover of 

 nature, particularly of flowers, and the science of botany was her 

 great delight. Her son early began to show scientific inclinations 

 and made little excursions about the nei^-hborhood, noticing the 

 rocks and minerals, though he knew little about their names and 

 nature. 



When fifteen years of age, he removed to Philadelphia and en- 

 tered a mercantile house, where he met another youth of similiar 

 taste, Vanuxem, by name, and these two friends took journeys 

 together, in the vicinity of Philadelphia. They had but scanty 

 time for their excursions, most of their time being spent in the 

 store, but they improved their leisure hours, giving especial at- 

 tention to the minerals of that region. 



Reference books and museums were extremely rare in those 

 early days, but the young naturalists soon found a iriend in the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, which had then been in existence 

 but a brief time. They soon became active membersy learning 

 from others, and contributing in turn the results of their explora- 

 tions. Mr. Vanuxem went to Paris in 1816, and spent three years 

 in the School of mines. On his return he was called to the pro- 

 fessorship of chemistry in the college of South Carolina. He 

 afterwards became noted as a geologist, and until his death, in 

 1848, the early friendship between these eminent men was contin- 

 ued. 



Mr. Lea's first paper was published in 1818. Naturally it rela- 

 ted to the subject which had engaged his early explorations; and 

 was entitled "An account of the minerals at present known to 

 exist in the vicinity of Philadelphia." His second paper on a 

 geological subject was not printed until 1822. Meanwhile, in 

 1821, he had married Miss Carey, with whom he lived most hap- 

 pily for fifty-two years, and had become a member of the publish- 

 ing firm of which her father was at the head. He continued to 

 be a member of the successive firms for a period of thirty years. 



His geological studies at length made it evident that a knowl- 

 edge ol shells was essential for their successful prosecution, and 

 thus he was led to take up the study of conchology, that science 

 which was to become his chief scientific employment, and to which 

 he has made so many contributions. 



The work of removing an obstructing sand bar in the Ohio 

 river, undertaken by the government, brought to light some beau- 

 tiful Unio shells, which were sent to the Academy by the officer 



