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Notice of Captain James Lashey. By Robert Gray, 

 F.R.S.E., F.S.A., Scot. 



As a conchologist, Capt. Laskey's name is first mentioned in 

 the 5th volume of Donovan's work on British Shells, in which the 

 author acknowledges, in several instances, his obligations to "J. 

 Laskey, Esq., of Crediton, Devonshire," for specimens which had 

 been forwarded to him from the shores of that county. Some of 

 these were figured by the author as he supposed for the first time. 

 This was in the beginning of the present century. A few years 

 later, Donovan's work being finished, Mr Laskey became the 

 correspondent of Montagu, who was resident in the same county, 

 and who published, between the years 1803 and 1813, two very 

 important works on British Zoology, with their supplements, 

 viz., the Ornithological Dictionary and the Testacea Britannica. In 

 the supplement to the last named work, Montagu figured and 

 published most of Laskey's discoveries. 



Capt. Laskey came to reside in Dunbar about the year 1804. 

 Very little is known of his previous history. He seems to have 

 spent much of his time while here in gathering shells ; indeed 

 that pastime must have been his ruling passion ; for although he 

 was doubtless subjected to the usual gayeties and temptations of a 

 soldier's life where his regiment — the 21st Militia — was stationed, 

 and that at a time when perpetual rumours of invasion kept 

 soldiers and civilians alike in suspense ; he found time for a 

 minute search of the sands and shingles from Belton to the 

 borders of Berwickshire, and discovered in the course of a very 

 few seasons upwards of forty different forms, which, as was then 

 supposed, had not been described. 



Captain Laskey was one of the original members of the Wer- 

 nerian Natural History Society, which was instituted in 1808, 

 and he appears to have been previously a fellow of the Linnsean 

 Society. His first contribution to the "Wernerian Memoirs was a 

 paper on the Pinna ingens of Pennant. A second and more im- 

 portant communication to the same society was forwarded by him 

 • from Seton House, East Lothian, in January, 1809. In this 

 paper, which is entitled " Account of North British Testacea," 

 he gives a somewhat remarkable list of shells found on the 

 shores of Dunbar, and enumerates no less than 44 new species — 

 all of which, with one exception which was too late for publication, 



