Zoological Collections. -339 



lug and bending quality of the cartilage, were susceptible of all manner 

 of flexion, and enabled the fish to assume all the attitudes requisite for 

 its life and habits. In one of the wings or pectoral fins, the number cf 

 joints amounted to 623 ; from which some judgment may be formed of the 

 vast variety of motions these organs are capable of performing, and how 

 admirably they are adapted to connect strength with speed. We can 

 hence understand the reason why they fly swiftly and powerfully through 

 the water; why they can raise a spray, or foam, around them when 

 they flap their wings on the surface ; and they are able, huge as they are, 

 to gambol with agility, and even to leap out of the water for a consider- 

 able distance. This species is viviparous. — Prof. Mitchill- 



3. Two New Genera of Reptiles Proposed. 



Professor Harlan, who has paid much attention to the Batracian reptiles, 

 has established two new genera. The first of these, from its most promi- 

 nent character, he has named Menobranchus. 



Gen. Char. — Persistent branchiae ; four-footed, four toes to each foot; 

 clawless. 



M- lateralis. — A black vitta from the nostrils, passing through the eyes, 

 and dilated on the sides, becoming obsolete on the tail. Plate VIII. Fig. 3- 



Two rows of teeth in the upper jaw and one in the lower, and one rib 

 less than the true Salamandrae. This species is the Triton lateralis of 

 Say, in Long's Expedition. To this species, Professor Harlan refers the 

 animal mentioned by Professor Mitchill as a Proteus, and confounded by 

 him with the Salamandra Alleghaniensis of Michaux, and also the animal 

 from Lake Champlain, described by Schneider. 



M. tetradactylus. — Two rows of teeth in each jaw ; duplicature of skin, 

 forming a collar on the superior part of the neck, immediately anterior to 

 the branchiae. Syn. Prote'e tetradactyle of Lacepede. 



Abranchus. 



Gen. Chat Destitute of branchiae at all periods of its existence ; four 



strong legs, five toes to the posterior, four to the anterior extremities ; the 

 outer edge of the feet fimbriated ; two outer toes of the hind feet palmat- 

 ed; clawless. 



A* Alleghaniensis, Plate VIII. Fig. 4. Salamandra Alleghaniensis of 

 Michaux and Latreille, S. gigantea of Barton. 



4. Bilobites. 



In the cabinet of the Lyceum of New York, there are some fossils from 

 New Jersey, and the Catskills, labelled with the name, Bilobites. 



They are imbedded in a loose friable sandstone, which seems to be al- 

 most wholly composed of organic remains, such as productus, terebratula, 

 &c The general outline of the fossils may be considered as elliptical, one 

 extremity being much narrower than the other. The length varies from 

 1.2 to 1.5 inch. The average thickness is about five lines. The superior 

 or dorsal surface is divided into two unequal lobes, by a longitudinal fur- 

 row, in the course of which a raised zig-zag line is observed. The lobes, 



