162 SCIENCE SKETCHES. 
some ten grotesque drawings of impossible fishes 
which he had observed “ down the river,” with 
notes on their habits, and a list of the names by 
which they were known by the French and English 
settlers. These Rafinesque duly copied into his 
note-books, and later he published descriptions 
of them as representatives of new genera, such as 
Pogostoma, Aplocentrus, Litholepis, Pilodictis, Po- 
macampsis, and the like. 
These singular genera, so like and yet so unlike 
to anything yet known, have been a standing puzzle 
to students of fishes. Various attempts at identi- 
fication of them have been made, but in no case 
have satisfactory results been reached. Many of 
the hard things which have been said of Rafi- 
nesque’s work rest on these unlucky genera,! “ com- 
municated to me by Mr. Audubon.” The true 
story of this practical joke was told me by the 
venerable Dr. Kirtland, who in turn received it 
from Dr. Bachman, the brother-in-law and scientific 
associate of Audubon. In the private note-books 
of Rafinesque I have since found his copies of 
these drawings, and a glance at these is sufficient 
to show the extent to which science through him 
has been victimized. 
About this time Rafinesque turned his mind 
again toward invention. He invented the present 
arrangement of coupon bonds, or, as he called it, 
“the divitial invention.” Savings-banks were pro- 
iT am informed by Dr. J. A. Allen that there are also some 
unidentified genera of herons, similarly described by Rafinesque 
from drawings kindly shown him by Mr. Audubon. Apparently 
these also date from the same unlucky practical joke. 
