Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 195 



Laprairie steam-boats are navigated, he dashed about in the 

 breakers opposite the town for nearly two hours. The move- 

 ments of the boat could be plainly seen from the harbour ; and 

 we seldom ever beheld a concourse of people equal to that 

 which crowded the embankments. The whale then proceeded 

 further up the river, and would in all probabiHty have visited 

 Laprairie had not the shallowness of the water prevented. Du- 

 ring all this time the persons in the boat were enabled to wound 

 him with lances continually. At last, exhausted and unable to 

 resist the stream, he again took the direction towards the foot 

 of the current, and continued his course to Bocherville Islands, 

 where he was killed and sunk in three fathoms water. Yester- 

 day morning the New Swiftsure towed the carcase to this place ; 

 and we understand that he will be exhibited this day in a build- 

 ing constructed for the purpose. We are pleased that Captain 

 Brush and Mr Young were the successful competitors in this 

 sport ; as their former exertions and perseverance seemed to en- 

 title them to be the favourites of Fortune. The dimensions of 

 this creature are 42 feet 8 inches in length, 6 feet across the 

 back, and 7 feet through from the back to the belly. He is of 

 the species called by the whalers Finners.'''' — Extract of a Letter 

 from Montreal, dated September 13. 1823. 



26. On the Siliceous Spicula of two Zoophytes from Shetland. — 

 " On examining the siliceous axis of two zoophytes lately present- 

 ed to me by Dr Fleming, and discovered by him on the coast of 

 Shetland, I have found that their spicula agree exactly in form 

 and arrangement with those represented by Donati, as occurring 

 in the Alcyonium primum Dioscoridis, and Tethya spheerica, of 

 that author. The spicula of both are sihceous, as stated by Pal- 

 las, who compares them to asbestus and to pumice ; the same was 

 observed by Montagu, who generally terms such spicula asbes- 

 tine. In the one of these species, named by Dr Fleming Cydo- 

 nium Mulleri, we observe the interior composed of two forms of 

 spicula ; one slender, long, and fusiform ; the other thick, and 

 branched at one end, into three short curved rays ; and the outer 

 covering of the zoophyte is composed of regular minute siliceous 

 balls, precisely as figured and described by Donati, in the Alcy. 

 pr. Dios., (Donati. mar. Adriat., PI. IX). In the other species, 

 named by Montagu Spongia pilosa, and by Dr Fleming Tethya 



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