History of Conchology in the United States. 171 
The descriptions, of this author, are very minutely accurate, 
dwelling on every slight peculiarity of the shell before him; 
hence, a number of his species have proved to be merely well 
marked varieties, undue importance being attached to ali their 
minor differences. 
he writings of Prof. Adams are, however, very valuable, as 
they are distinguished by their marked ability, and fill up a gap 
in the history of American Mollusca; no other author having 
described any considerable number of the shells of Jamaica— 
an island which contains an almost isolated molluscous fauna— 
very few only of its species being common to the other islands. 
Aveustus A. Goutp, M.D., of Boston, is one of our most 
voluminous writers on Conchology, his papers covering almost 
the entire range of the science. ; : 
_ His first publication was a translation of the generic descrip- 
tions by Lamarck, entitled, “ Lamarck’s Genera of Shells; with 
& catalogue of species.’’ (Boston, 1833.) He has since that time 
had the good fortune to be connected with some of the most 
elaborate works on the subject, published in America, ; 
Dr. Gould contributed several short papers to this Journal, in 
1840 and 1848 ; and he has also a paper in the London Zoolog- 
teal Proceedings for 1857 , “On the Nautilus umbilicatus of Lis- 
ter.” With these exceptions, the whole of his shorter papers 
have appeared in the Boston Journal and Proceedings. The 
Journal contains :— 
“A monograph of the species of Pupa found in the United States.” 
™ aitoie of shells ita the Gale of California, and the Pacific 
Coasts of Mexico and California.” ‘ 
Also, articles describing shells from Burmah, Cuba, and Africa. 
the North Pacific Exploring 
Expedition. Besides these, Dr. Gould’s “ Remarks’ made = 
n Soci | 
*TUnning commentary on recent p 
Species, details of the habite and anatomy of the Mollusca, an 
many other interesting subjects. ee 
. The paper “On ie shells collected by Wilkes’ U. S. vat 3 ; 
ne Expedition,” contains short descriptions of the hund ro 
ae which have since been published in complete and beau- 
Style, as a Government Report. ; : : 
: plates of this Report he just been issued, their pa 
= having occupied several years. They are very carelully 
Wn and splendidly colored. 
