Ohio Shells, 



373 



this gentleman ; but when so appropriate an occasion presents 

 itself, of expressing our most sincere respect for the virtues and 

 talents of a venerable and untiring friend to science, in all its 

 various branches, we should be conscious of an omission if we 

 were to say less than we do upon this occasion. From this neat 

 and appropriate dedication, we extract the following passage, 

 which will bring us at once in medias res. 



" In publicly addressing to your notice a translation of professor Rafinesque's mo- 

 nograph of the bivalve shells of the river Ohio, and its tributaries, it seems proper to 

 remark, that this paper was originally published at Brussels, in September, 1820, 

 in the * Jinnales Generales des Sciences Physiques^ Extra copies were transmit- 

 ted to the author in this country, who distributed them among individuals, and the 

 libraries belonging to scientific institutions in this city and elsewhere. It is there- 

 fore a curious circumstance in the history of American conchology, that this sin- 

 gular evidence of the author's acumen, zeal, and industry should have thus ex- 

 isted for more than eleven years, -while but four of the numerous species discover- 

 ed and described by him, are known by his names, either in the works of Ameri- 

 can authors, or in our collections." 



Now, four species out of sixty then made known, is 6f per 

 centum ; and although 6f per centum is very good interest in 

 money matters, yet we have but an indifferent opinion of divi- 

 dends of this character, in natural history, particularly when by 

 adroit arrangements of others, this 6j per centum is only once 

 paid, and must figure away ever after as all the capital the 

 original holder is entitled to. This is pretty much the predica- 

 ment in which professor Rafinesque has been placed by the man- 

 agement of others, according to the account of himself and his 

 friends. He paid into the hands of the commissioners of con- 

 chology, sixty species, dead and alive ; and lo ! and behold ! when 

 he comes to ask for his annual interest out of the reputation 

 fund, he is told that no more than four species appear entered 

 in the books to his credit. If this had been a money transaction, 

 there would have been a great noise about it ; but as it is only 

 about shells without any oysters in them, people disregard it, 

 nay, even laugh at it ; which is very wrong. Now we love fair 

 play, and what is better, we love shells better than oysters, and 

 therefore we feel disposed to get up a little noise about this mat- 

 ter, but in a good natured way, and with a view to justice and 

 future harmony. 



That our readers may have professor Rafinesque's statement 

 from himself, we extract from his " Continuation of a Mono- 



