13ti 



Notes on American Shells. 



the labels in his own cabinet— the correspondent in this country 

 who sent them to him must have been exceedingly careless. A 

 case of this kind happened within our knowledge. An eminent 

 conchologist sent to the Baron Ferrusac, the Unio Ochraceus la- 

 belled Unio Radiatus, and it will probably appear under that ap- 

 pellation in the magnificent forthcoming work of that zealous nat- 

 uralist. The cabinet of this gentleman is rich in American Unios, 

 and on a late visit to Paris, we assisted him in correcting many 

 misnomers on this subject. 



Fig. 34. This is properly called Helix Sayii, and not Polygyra 

 Auriculata, the name given by Mr. Say — the specific name of 

 Auriculata being preoccupied by a fine Helix, native we think, 

 of Africa. 



When in London, we examined the collection of shells in the 

 British Museum, and found them for the most part correctly nam- 

 ed. There is one there presented by Mr. Say, and called Unio 

 Tuberculatus, of Barnes. It is the Unio Lachrymosus of Lea. 

 Perhaps the U. Lachrymosus is nothing more than the young of the 

 Unio Metanevra of Rafinesque * Mr. Gray, the amiable and pro- 

 found zoologist of the Museum, has named the Melania Canali- 

 culata— Melania Sayii, as the specific name canalictdata he in- 

 formed me was preoccupied. Mr. Wood, in the book before us, 

 has also made this correction, and has given us a good figure of 

 the shell on Plate 4, fig. 24. It is represented however in the 

 young state before the nodules on the ribs are fully developed. 

 The only perfect specimen of this species we have ever seen is in 

 the splendid cabinet of Charles A. Poulson, Esquire, of Philadel- 



It has given us real pain to detect so many errors in the beauti- 

 ful and expensive work of Mr. Wood ; but as it will be often refer- 

 red to for the names of our shells, we have felt compelled to offer 

 these remarks. The plates and names of the foreign shells we 

 have not accurately examined, and we therefore hope that they 

 will be found generally correct. 



