Miscellaneous Notices. 85 
Arr. VIII.—Miscellaneous Notices ; by J. W. Baer. 
1. Fossil Infusoria of the Southern Ricefields.—The earth of 
the rice fields in Carolina and Georgia is rich in fossil, (marine or 
estuary, ) siliceous Diatomaceze. They are particularly abundant 
in the earth freshly excavated in forming the canals and ditches, 
and hundreds of little shells may be seen with even a common 
pocket lens, upon the freshly fractured surface of any dry lump 
of the mud. The species are such as now inhabit the shores and 
up the streams than where the surface water is fresh. Among 
3 
and of Judge Cheves; and on the Altamaha at Hopeton, the 
classic ground of southern natural history, near the residence of 
J. Hamilton Couper, Esq. A perfect agreement was found in 
the character of the fossils at all these localities. 
States that he has found it adhering to roots of Marchantia from 
South America, and Ehrenberg has recently stated* that it occurs 
abundantly in Texas, but adds however, that it has not yet been 
etected in the older states of the Union. 1am happy to be able 
to state that it is a common and abundant form in our southern 
rivers. During the last winter I found it in a living state in the 
waters of the Ashley, Savannah, Ogeechee, and Altamaha; also in 
great abundance forming long chains on the roots of Pistia strati- 
otes in the St. Johns, Withlacoochee and Hillsborough rivers in 
Florida. I have also specimens of it from Jamaica, and a few 
Portions of apparently the same thing, from Mindanao in the 
Phillipine Islands. It probably inhabits the rivers of all warm 
Tegions. It is abundant as a fossil form in the ricefields. i 
o 3. Fossil Infusoria of Maryland.—The infusorial beds of 
Virginia and Maryland, have been heretofore traced from Peters- 
Surgh, Virginia, to Herring Bay on the Chesapeake in Maryland, 
and here “ the ¢rail’? was lost; I have had the good fortune to 
- * Monatsbericht, &c,, Berlin, Feb, 1849. 
