Among American naturalists, C.S. Rafinesque (1783-1840) is second only to Audubon in the popular interest he sustains. This interest is due in part to his colorful life and provocative personality, but he is also remembered for devising Latin scientific names for more plants than any other naturalist who ever lived--and a great number in the animal kingdom, as well. This passion for nomenclature has kept his name memorable (some would say notorious) among naturalists. Yet his taxonomic writings made up only a part of his extensive oeuvre. Rafinesque's restless mind ranged over areas of...

Was the nineteenth-century naturalist C. S. Rafinesque insane? Did he die in abject poverty? Just what is the value of his contributions to scientific nomenclature? Charles Boewe s Profiles of Rafinesque takes up these questions and others.
Among early naturalist, C. S. Rafinesque is second only to John James Audubon in the volume of commentary that has been written about him and his works. In contrast to Audubon, however, he has yet to receive an adequate biography. In this volume, Charles Boewe collects the essays of thirteen writers to provide the most comprehensive portrait now...