240 Miscellaneous, — Books, 



Dr. Isaac Lea lias sent us a pamphlet in which he describes twenty-five 



new species of Unioues, chiefly from the waters of the far-off kingdom of 



Siam. The extraordinary gcniis ( Unio,) to which these shells belong, consists 



of a multitnde of species distributed throughout all the fresh waters of the 



globe. In Lea's Synopsis of the Family of Naiades, published in 1852, there 



are mentioned 401 species in a recent state, 97 fossil and 84 others noticed 



by authors, whose descriptions appear to be doubtful. In addition to these 



there were then known a sufficient number of forms belonging to the closely 



allied genera of Anodon, Margaritana, &c., to make the total 767. Many 



species have been since contributed, and the number is now probably over 



800. Among the 25 new species described, are 14 from Siam, 1 from 



Burmah, 2 from the Cape of Good Hope, 1 from Sina River in India, 1 



from Brazil, 1 from River Macacou, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, New Grenada, 



1 from Australia, 1 from Rio Plata, 1 from Mocha in Asia, 1 from River 



Amazon, 1 from Medellin River, Mexico. Of all the families of the Mollusca, 



none has excited more intense interest in the scientific world than the 



Naiades, of which the clam shells of our Canadian rivers are examples. — 



Among them are many very beautiful shells, and of almost every form seen 

 in the whole range of all the other species of bivalves. Some of them are 

 very rare and eagerly sought after. The physiological structure of the 

 animals has engaged a great deal of the attention of the best anatomists, 

 while the systematic zoologist has encountered here several problems of no 

 ordinary difficulty. In this, his favorite department of science. Dr. Lea is 

 considered the leader in all parts of the world, and has published a number 

 of beautifully illustrated works. The Pamphlet before us also contains a 

 paper on the new Red Sandstone of Pennsylvania, and descriptions ; a new 

 sub-genus of Naiades ; a new species of Triquetra ; and some new fresh-water 

 shells from California. 



KiRBY & Spence's Entomology. — Mr. Dawson of Montreal has a 



supply of the new and cheap English edition of this highly interesting work. 



Our young countrymen who desire to make themselves acquainted with the 



manifold wonders of the insect world would do well to provide themselves 



with this book. We look upon this work as of the same importance in 



Entomology that Lyell's Principles are in Geology. It contains a vast 

 fund of information relating to the Metamorphoses, Food, Stratagems, 

 Habitations, Societies, Motions, Instincts, &c. of Insects, without which no 

 sound knowledge of this delightful science can be acquired unless by years 

 of labour. The book contains over 600 closely printed pages, and is sold 

 for only 7s. 6d. 



The Works of Audubon. — We would strongly recommend that 



every Public Library in Canada should purchase a set of the Works of the 



great Ornithologist and Naturalist, Audubon. Those whose funds are not 



sufficiently abundant to afford the very expensive editions may, without 



much effort, procure those less costly. It is scarcely necessary to state, 



that a Library with any one of the editions must rank immeasurably above 



others not thus furnished. These works are for sale by C. S. Francis & Co. 



No. 252, Broadway, New York ; and for the information of parties who 



may desire to purchase, we shall give their advertisement entire, as we find 

 it in their Catalogue. 



