438 Scientific Intelligence. 
becoming an American citizen, should be held excusable for continuing in 
ignorance of the vegetation around hi 
Th 
telligent investigators of Plants within the limits referred to: butit ought, 
also,—in connection with the Botanical Z'ext-Book, and elementary Lessons, 
by the same author—to be introduced into every well-ordered seminary 
by all means including the common schools.) of the same region. 
With such class books, in place of the superficial and defective compila- 
tions heretofore too generally employed, a just conception of the science 
ould soon supercede the prevalent smattering of uncouth terms destitute 
of ideas; and a proper foundation would be laid in the inquiring minds 
of youth for a future superstructure of true Botanical knowledge. — 
A reform of this character is a consummation devoutly to be wished. 
It is, indeed, high time that the intellect of “ Young America,”—in eve 
educational department—should be placed on the right track at the start, 
and be so developed, in its progress, as to eschew the vulgar errors and 
exploded fallacies of the past. The morning of life is too short, and too 
precious to be wasted in acquiring ideas that are obsolete, and which, 
of necessity, must be afterward unlearned, or discarde 
valuable and most desirable compendium of the Botany of our whok F 
country. While it would meet an urgent present want, it would serve as 
second, the # 
desideratum will speedily be supplied ? W. D. 
9. Report on the present State of our Knowledge of the Mollusca of 
: soc. 
Ath., No. 1504.)—As many of the shells of California tend to Sitka, 
nd some even to the Shantar Islands, while the shells of the @ulf of 
California belong to the Fauna of Panama and Ecuador, this report em- 
braces the shells of the whole of the west coast of North America. The 
causes of error, both in ascertaining the habitat and in identifying the 
species of mollusks, were pointed out. An historical account was giv 
of all the known collectors in the district, pointing out the degree of au- 
thority attached to each, with a list of species, references, synonyms, &c. 
Special attention had been paid to the minuter shells of the Gulf, among 
which were pointed out several new an interesting forms. The large 
multitudes of shells from that district which had been lately sent to this 
country had brought to light many interesting points concerning the 
variations in particular species. In the genus Czecum, for instance, 
five species had been made out of different stages of growth in the same 
shell. All the known shells of which the exact locality was ascertai 
had been tabulated in columns, representing the distribution of the spe 
cies, and arranged zoologically. About 800 species are known from the 
