History of Conchology. 25*3 



ness of the observations made on the living species, and in part also 

 to the imperfection of the views of the authors. Daubenton, the 

 colleague of BufFon, so early as 1743, insisted on a knowledge of the 

 animal as necessary to form a natural classification of shells ; and in 

 1756, Guettard, who was the personal friend of Jussieu, not only 

 gave his sanction to this opinion, but shewed its practicability and 

 excellence by defining, from the peculiarities of the animal and shell 

 combined, a considerable number of the univalves, comprehending 

 among these, in evident agreement with their relations, though con- 

 trary to general use, the slugs, the Aplysia, and the Bullsea. But 

 the fullest attempt of this kind was made by Adanson, whose 

 work on Senegal was published some years before Linnasus had given 

 the last revision to his system. Impelled by an indomitable enthu- 

 siasm, Adanson visited Senegal, under many disadvantages, to ex- 

 amine and describe the natural productions of a tropical climate ; and 

 for this purpose he made very extensive collections in every depart- 

 ment of nature, but of his great work the first volume only, contain- 

 ing the outline of his travels and his account of the shells, was ever 

 given to the public. The character of this volume has risen with 

 the progress of the science, and it is more valued by the concholo- 

 gists of the present day than it was by the contemporaries of its au- 

 thor. He had some personal peculiarities — too visible in his writings 

 — which could not fail to hurt his popularity : an austere tempera- 

 ment, which caused him to treat his fellow-labourers with contemptu- 

 ous acerbity, — a mind that would neither bend to nor treat with re- 

 spect the prejudices as he deemed them of his age, — an unflinching 

 severity in criticising the writings of others, and a pertinacious 

 tenacity of his own views, — while some barbarisms he attempted 

 to introduce into the nomenclature of conchology repelled the na- 

 turalists of a too nice taste, and the very extent of his requirements 

 from those who claimed to be naturalists operated against him, for 

 it was not to be supposed that mere collectors or virtuosos were to 

 enter on so difiicult a path, or would be willing to allow themselves 

 to be pushed aside as idlers, and put without the pale of the scien- 

 tific circle. That very beauty, he exclaims, which by its variety 

 has attracted the regards of men to shells has become an obstacle to 

 their knowledge. " La coquille seule depositaire de cette riche 

 V^arure, a fait mepriser I'animal auquel elle servoit de couverture, 

 ' et est devenue seule I'objet de I'admiration de quelques natura- 

 I listes. Epris, comme les curieux, de la beaute frappante de ses 

 I couleurs, ils n'ont pas juge que I'habitant fut digne de leurs re- 

 i cherches, et le difficulte de se le procurer a chaque instant, n'a pas 



