The latest issue of the American Conchologist (v. 4, no. 4, p. 8-9)
includes an interesting account by Dan Yoshimoto on "The new Banks shell
collection aboard the 'Endeavour'". James Cook captained the H.M. Bark
Endeavour, leaving England in 1768. As part of the scientific staff, Joseph
Banks and Daniel Carl Solander collected mollusks and other animals, some
of which they ultimately described. Dan and Hiromi Yoshimoto reconstructed
part of their collection as a traveling exhibit aboard the Replica H.M.
Bark Endeavour. They deserve a big hand from the rest of us for this work,
which will be seen by thousands as the replica ship travels around the
world.

Reconstructing an old collection is an unusual task. Biographers and
historians of science occasionally do this for an exhibit or simply to
understand a collector's methods. Taxonomists sometimes gather scattered
specimens to determine which specimens were originally understood as the
types. I would like to hear from other people about this kind of
activity--the joys and challenges of reconstructing the past in
collections.

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama