Vol. 4. JANUARY, 1888. No. 33 



REMINISCENCES OF A NATURALIST, BIOGRAPH- 

 ICAL, ETC.— II 



DR. WESLEY NEWCOMB. 



In the *rummer of 1864 I met that veteran conchologist, Dr. 

 Wesley Newcomb, for the first time, having called upon him in 

 response to an invitation sent to me through the late Dr. William 

 M. Gobb, the latter at that time holding the position of Paleonto- 

 logist in the staff of the Geological Survey of California, of which 

 Prof. J. D. Whitney was the director. I remember very clearly 

 the afternoon when I first met the worthy doctor, and the acquain- 

 tpnceship then commenced developed into a friendship that still 

 continues undiminished, though I have not seen him for many 

 years. 



At the time referred to he lived in Oakland, California, where 

 he pursued his profession and had an extensive practice. Dr. 

 Newcomb is at the present writing probably the oldest American 

 conchologist. He has outlived his earlier scientific or rather con- 

 chological friends; Gould, the elder Binney, Anthony, Bland, 

 and, last but not least. Dr. Isaac Lea, all Americans, as well as 

 Reeve, Cuming and others of England who were also his friends 

 and correspondents. Dr. Newcomb lived for many years in the 

 Sandwich Islands, and there had excellent opportunities for col- 

 lecting not only the beautiful land shells of that remarkable insular 

 group, A.chatinellae, the geographical distribution of which is 

 nearly if not wholly confined to said islands, but also many inter- 

 esting and attractive marine and fresh-water species. Dr. New- 

 comb improved the opportunity to make not only an exhaustive 

 collection of the Achatinellae, but also to make a thorough study of 

 these somewhat variable and therefore difficult shells. By careful 

 comparison he reached conclusions which are probably more 

 correct than the greater portion of the work of others in the shells 

 of this group. 



At the time Dr. Newcomb resided in the islands, the Achati- 

 nelke w^ere abundant, and therefore he had no lack of material. 

 Since and of late years, with the clearing of the lands and the 



