nations is ahvays quickened. In Europe rapid advances Avero 

 made. Ilesearcli and discussion Avcre tlie order of the day in 

 the scientific world. Conchology met with its duo sliare of 

 attention at tlie hands of Naturalists. Marine forms were 

 probably studied more than land and fresh-water species, 

 though judging from the papers written on the latter, it would 

 appear that they were not neglected. 



OX THE PROGRESS OF THE STUDY OP" THE MOLLUSCA 

 IN THE UNITED STATES. 



l:v to the close of the war of 1812, the naturalists of Europe 

 do not seem to have been aware of the extent, numbers, and 

 varieties of the Molluscous Fauna of the United States. Dr. 

 Amos Binney in his work " Terrestial Mollusks," gives us at 

 some length an account of what had been done by foreign 

 authors. It is a subject of congratulation that the labor of 

 describing American species has been first and mainly done 

 by American naturalists. The first i)aper beai'ing uj)on the 

 Mollusks of this country was published by Thomas Say, in 1817. 

 Another name distinguished in the early history of American 

 Conchology is that of Rafinesque. I would by no moans omit 

 one whose writings have been provocative of so much dispute 

 among our naturalists, — and one, too, who possessed superior 

 qualifications as an investigator, and with ideas far in advance 

 of others. It was unfortunate th&t the latter part of his life 

 should have been clouded with mental and physical difficulties. 

 The Uiiio vietanever, common in our rivers, was named by 

 him. Dr. Amos Binney was the first American author to 

 l)ublish a complete monograph of our terrestial mollusks. 

 This Avork is invaluable to every student of conchology. 

 Among our living conchologists, Dr. Isaac Lea stands pre-emi- 

 nent,and he has probably described more American aquatic spe- 

 cies than all other authors together. During the last twenty- 

 five years, the progress of American Conchology has been 

 rapid. And identified with its groAvth and development may 



