114 Fossil Remains in Manjlatid. 



tion within the reach of all, why should not agriculture awaken, 

 put forth its energies, and partake of that spirit of innprove- 

 ment that is working its magic in all other departments ? Why 

 does it not avail itself of that knowledge of the nature of the soil, 

 which chemistry gives ? those tabular statements of the wea- 

 ther and climates, which naturalists furnish ? those philosophical 

 investigations into the nature and habits of plants, which have 

 been presented ? and that labour-saving spirit that seems to know 

 no limits in other branches of business? Why should all our 

 capital improvements fly the open fields, where culture exists, 

 and be realized only in cabinets and manufactories ? — Agricul- 

 ture follows the old dull routine, and its products lumber on to 

 market in heavy carts, whilst all other branches move on, aided 

 by a thousand inventions, with ease and despatch. That field, 

 whence our food is derived, and on which our very existence de- 

 pends, lies neglected, whilst we (fultivate luxuries to a morbid 

 excess. Every thing is cheapened but human food ; every thing 

 becomes annually more attainable, but the necessaries of the 

 table. If this disproportion between the arts and agriculture con- 

 tinues to advance, we are destined to live in a sort of splendid 

 pauperism : enjoying the luxuries of fine houses and furniture, we 

 shall enjoy every thing to satiety but bread. W. 



FOSSIL REMAINS, FOUND IxV ANNE ARUNDLE COUNTY, 

 MARYLAND. 



A PARAGRAPH having appeared in the public papers, stating 

 that some very curious fossil remains had been found in the State 

 of Maryland, by Dr. J. S. Owen, the Editor addressed a letter 

 to that gentleman, containing a set of queries. Dr. Owen, with 

 great promptitude, has answered them in a most intelligent man- 

 ner, and has added to the value of his communication, by enabling 

 the Editor to examine the fossil remains themselves. 



They prove to be the dorsal vertebra of a small whale, and 

 the caudal vertebra of a largei- one, together with the fragments 

 of some of the ribs. The shells, which have reached us in a very 

 mutilated state, are the Pecten Jeffersonius, Turritella Plebeia, 

 of Say, and Venerecardia Blandingi of T. A. Conrad,* to- 

 gether with other well known tertiary shells. The deposit in 



♦Journal Acad, of Nat. Science, Vol. VI. part 2, p. 229. 



