REMINISCENCES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. 
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most familiar to us ; and the beautiful shells— univalve and others— from their extremely 
attractive colors and shapes, were sure to be cared for by sailors and visitors of foreign climes, 
and taken home as interesting mementoes. So with the more common species of our shores. 
The exterior of these animals, the shells, were favorite objects ; and large collections were 
made by individuals, most of whom were simply collectors who arranged them, more or less 
in accordance with the simple classification, as Land shells and Fresh-water shells, and as uni- 
valves and bivalves. 
In the early part of the present century, the French nation associated scientific objects 
with their expeditions. Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign notably resulted in calling forth emi- 
nent scientists ; and the fine works of these men became important aids to the advancement 
of natural science. 
It was near the middle of this century before the aspiring student in our country could, 
without difficulty and expense, procure published literature on the invertebrates relating to 
our own marine forms. 
In 1841, Dr. Augustus A. Gould, of Boston, submitted for publication a “ Report on the 
Invertebrata of Massachusetts.” This was one of a series of reports of surveys ordered by the 
State. The matter is contained in an octavo volume, and is very nearly wholly devoted to the 
Mollusca, or Shell-fish ; Dr. Gould being at the time one of the notable American students in 
that branch. It is now, as it was then, a matter of pride to New Englanders that such an 
excellent work was produced. The copper-plate figures of each species can never be excelled 
in fidelity to outline and artistic finish as etchings. This was a gratifying commencement. 
The author of these introductory lines well remembers the barren field existing at this time. 
Our school-boy friend, William Stimpson, whose name is enrolled among the pioneers and 
effective laborers in the various divisions of Invertebrata, was then the enthusiastic learner ; 
joyous to seeming absurdity at sharing our small collection of local marine objects. There 
lived at this time in Boston an old gentleman, Mr. John Warren, whose occupation was, in the 
reality, proprietor of a “ curiosity shop,” but whose tastes and education led him to the study 
of Mollusca and mineralogy. Primarily, he was a veritable Grandfather Trent, whose com- 
mercial requirements were secondary to considerations of taste and science. This was to us a 
charming resort. The delightful old gentleman was then near eighty years of age. He was of 
English birth, and impressed us as a courteous gentleman of the old school. He was emi- 
nently a handsome man, and, though many years a trader in his wares, he never lost the 
kindly, friendly manner of dealing with us, that subsists between students embued with the 
true spirit of science. At eighty, he was our companion — boys, as we were, with few deside- 
rata in our minds greater than the speedy approach of every half-holiday. To meet at Mr. 
Warren’s and arrange for a tour of Chelsea Beach, or dredging off Nahant, was the all-absorb- 
ing theme during many of these early years. When Mr. Warren could arrange to join us, 
there was a third party equally joyous, when ranging the beaches was the order, in view of 
our old friend’s infirmities. 
While recalling this period, we have before us an old letter-book, in which we have care- 
fully filed away for preservation many choice letters — the volume, now well swollen and 
embracing the signatures of the most eminent of European and American zoologists — but we 
recur with sentiments of peculiar nature to the few whose earlier age is suggested by the seal- 
ing-wax and the wafer. Such an one bears the signature of William Stimpson, and carries 
upon its face suggestions of the school-room. These half -holidays of my young friend were 
coveted periods in the discipline of the Cambridge High School, and most economically were 
they husbanded. Under date of year 1848, Stimpson writes : “Mr. Warren informs me that 
you are going to Chelsea Beach on Saturday to collect some of the spoils of the late storm. 
If you please, I would like to accompany you. ... I will bring down my dredge and 
thirty fathoms of line, when we may take a dory and drag around Nahant and Point Shirley.” 
It is interesting to know that this was some of the first work of the kind done in our coun- 
try. Some of our Salem friends were also early in the field, most notably Putnam and Dr. 
Wheatland. In that delightful old neighboring town of seven-gabled houses lived another 
old gentleman naturalist, Mr. J oseph True, genial and kindly, and possessed of all the virtues 
