Astronomy. 287 
‘The specimen should then be mounted in a natural position, usually 
with the wings extended. For this purpose, provide a strip of pine 
board or other soft-wood, five or six inches wide, and. one inch thick, 
grooved its whole length in the middle of one .of its flat surfaces, the 
groove to be 4 an inch deep and from } to $ an inch in width, accord- 
ing to the size of the insect. It is well to have on hand a supply of 
different widths. ; 
views of Prof. Agassiz. 
3. On the Perforation of Rocks by Pholades ; by M. F. Cattiavp, 
(Comptes Rendus, Nov. 24, 1851, 572.)—M. F. Caillaud sustains the 
view that the rocks occupied by the Pholades is mechanically excavated 
by the animal, by means of its shell. He observes that in Jess than an 
hour and a half, he dug out with one of the shells a hole eighteen milli- 
Meters deep in limestone ; and shows by the circular scratches in some 
of the holes, that the animal actually uses a rotary movement in the 
t 
such perforations are usually attributed,) can perforate both limestones 
and gneiss or mica schist. ~ 
IV. Astronomy. 
. Supposed new Planet.—On the 8th December, 1851, Prof. Dz 
Gasparis in Naples, discovered near Saturn a very faint star, which he 
Considered a new planet; but no intelligence of the confirmation of 
this discovery has yet reached us. | 
2. Symbolical Notation of the Asteroidal Planets, (Gould’s Astron. 
Jour., No. 34.)—On account of the inconvenience resulting from th 
Present arbitrary symbols for the large family of small planets between 
ars an pi i 
Germany, France, England and America, to propose for adoption a 
More simple system for this group, viz.: a circle containing the num- 
ber of the planet in the order of its discovery. 
that this plan will be generally adopted. The 
names of such of these planets as have hitherto been, obser 
the time of their discovery, and the name of the discoverer.  —s 
ae ee eee pean pate 
PS, POA CE g Rah eet 
