fore described. I now presented him the sugar maple. He Janced 
a moment, striking his head into a tuft of the leaves, “with all 
the. malice of the under fiends,” and the next moment coiled and. 
lanced again, darting his whole length at each effort with the swift- 
- ness of an arrow. After repeating this several times, I again chang- 
ed his fare, and presented him the white ash... He instantly doused 
his peak; stretched himself out on bis back, and writhed his body in 
the same manner as at the first application. It was then proposed 
to try what effect might be produced upon his temper and courage by 
alittle flogging witha the white ash. This was administered. But 
instead of arousing him to resentment, it served only to increase his 
troubles. As the flogging grew more severe, the snake frequently 
stuck his head into the sand as far as he could thrust it, seeming de- 
sirdus to bore his way into the earth and rid himself of his unwel- 
come visitors. 
~ Being now convinced thatthe experiment was a satisfactory one, and 
fairly conducted on both sides, we deemed it ungenerous to take his 
life after he had contributed so much to gratify. our cariosity:s: ; a om 
we took our leave of the r: rattle snake, with fe at leas 
Arr. XVIIL—On some new Fossil and Recent Shells é the United 
States; by T. A. Conran. 
To the Editor of the American Journal of Science. 
_. Sir—As T have a considerable collection of tertiary fossils of the 
United States, many of which appear to be new to science, pies 
you may deem it useful to publish descriptions of some of them, 
although” unaccompanied with figures; which it is to be hoped the 
increasing interest in geological researches will s some day e enable me ‘me 
to furnish. I shall here describe only a “species 
which I believe to be nondescript, but they will "suite to convince 
the naturalist that interesting and perfect fossils are scattered as pro- 
ely in America as in any part of the world. Scarce a rivulet, or 
the bank of a river, in the eastern portion of the Southern States, is 
without some trace of organic remains; and persons residing in the 
- Neighborhood of such places would confer a favor on the members 
of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, if they wi would 
‘ward specimens to that Institution. Yours, &.  T.A.C. 
Philadelphia, December 5, 1832. ae 
