386 Scientific Intelligence, ^"c. 



markable animals of this order are much seen in many parts of North 

 America, viz. — of Megatherium and the Megalonix. The order 

 Pachydermata is remarkable at once for the size of the animals it 

 includes, the number of extinct species, which more than double 

 that of the living ones, and the small number that the new world 

 now nourishes. Fossil Elephants and Mastodons have, however, 

 been dug up in various distant parts of North America, and the 

 bones of horses were procured by Captain Beachey under the cliffs of 

 Kotezbue's Sound. The Ruminantia form an important and interest- 

 ing part of North American Zoology, but only two, or at least three 

 species are common to the new and old world. 



On the Longevity of Yew Trees. — Mr. Bowman read a paper 

 on the mode of ascertaining the age of yew trees, by counting the 

 rings and lines of the trunk, and instanced several experiments 

 which he had made. The mean average of the number of lines 

 which a tree increased in a year was two, or ^th. of an inch, and the 

 result of his experiment went to prove that Decandolle was wrong 

 in his experiments in this respect ; that he made the old trees too 

 young and the young ones too old. With respect to the growth of 

 yew trees in churchyards many reasons have been assigned for it, but 

 it occurred to him that the longevity, the indigenous nature of the 

 tree, and its being an emblem of immortality, led our forefathers to 

 deck the place of the dead with them in lieu of cypress. This was 

 one of the many customs which were engrafted on Christianity at 

 its introduction, and it would be a barbarism to destroy an emblem 

 that we might meet again hereafter. In conclusion, the paper 

 urged on the scientific world the admonition of Decandolle, to pursue 

 the subject by interrogating the annual rings of trees. 



Account of a new Species of Seal. — Mr. Ball said that when 

 young he was in the habit of observing seals, and he had only seen 

 two species for a considerable time, but at length he found another 

 seal, which he believed was the true phoca vitulina. Mr. Ball then 

 exhibited sculls of several seals, and Dr. Riley also exhibited the 

 skeleton of one which was caught near Weston-super-Mare. 



Professor Nillsson described the animal exhibited by Mr. Ball, and 

 gave it as his opinion that it was a specimen of a distinct species, 

 forming a distinct genus from the vitulina, with which Linnaeus has 

 confounded three. He terms it Heliochcerus griseus. 



Dr. Riley exhibited the stomach of the seal caught in the Severn, 

 and stated that on preparing the skeleton of the animal he found from 

 thirty to forty pebbles contained in it, which fact he mentioned, to point 

 out the manner in which it is said seals catch fish. It is a prevalent 

 opinion, that the seal when fishing attaches its legs to the bottom, 

 and remains in a vertical position, and when a fish passes over its 

 head it darts up anil strikes it transversely. Now, according to the 

 depth of water, it takes in a quantity of pebbles as ballast, as it is 

 obliged to sink itself. Dr. Riley also exhibited the venous system 

 of the seal, by which it was enabled to dive so admirably. It col- 

 lected a quantity of blood on the right side, the same as they found 

 was the case with those persons employed in diving for pearls. 



New Species of Scandent Norantea. — Dr. Hancock exhibited a 

 new species of this plant, which is a native of America, in form like 



