(seq. 1)

Philada. August 18th 1822

Dear Sir!

Your very acceptable letter with its accompaning
box of shells were handed to me yesterday by our mutual
friend Mr Vaughan, & I lose not time in assuring you of
the very great pleasure I feel, in numbering you among
the Chonochologists of our country, where the harvest is
indeed abundant & the labourers are few!

I have descd. all the North American shells in my
cabinet, or in those of my friends here, that appeared
to me to be new, & the Academy of N.S. are now printing
the essay, which however is by no means so extenstive as I
had anticipated when the undertaking was commenced;
so that it is highly probable that a great number of spe-
-cies remain yet undiscovered, for the acquisition of which,
we must rely upon the researches of those naturalists
who have leisure & opportunity, to seek them where they
abound.

The following is a catalogue of the interesting species
contained in the box, for which I beg you to accept of my
sincere thanks, viz. —

No. 22, Crepidula fornicata? var. I am inclined to think
the American specimens are specifically distinct from
the European ones, but for the present they are published
as the same, with the expression of doubt.

" 10, Paludina vivipara, of Authors. The American are certainly
very similar tto the Europn. specimens.

" 9, Polyphemus glans. Journ. A.N.S. — It seems probable that
our Polyphemus is in reality not the glans; but the stri-
-atus of Muller, whose description I have not the seen.
I would gladly receive a few specimens with the animal living.

" 4, Helix tridentata? TS — As the specimen is imperfect I
am not certain of its identity.

" 18, Nassa trivittata T.S. found as far north as New Jersey