354 Intelligence and Miscellanies. 



ployment, procuring food, rearing or nursing its young, at- 

 tacking or avoiding its enemies, enjoying its prey, or prepar- 

 ing for its capture. 



Although these elegant productions might be justly cited 

 as masterly specimens of pictorial composition, yet they are 

 scarcely less remarkable for zoological and botanical accu- 

 racy, being thus e([ually illustrative of both the great depart- 

 ments of Natural History. Many things there so well de- 

 picted have often come under the observation of members 

 of this Society, who are thus enabled to judge, from the un- 

 questioned truth of these, of the fidelity of others which 

 they have had no opportunity of personally verifying. We 

 see contrasted the luxuriant vegetation of our Southern and 

 Western States in the splendid Magnolias, Hibiscus, Gelsemi- 

 num, and even in the grasses of .those regions, with the rela- 

 ted species, but of stinted growth, of our more northern 

 climes. 



The work will require about fourteen years to complete it, 

 and will then form a collection of figures such as will leave 

 nothing to be wished for in American Ornithology. The 

 letter press will be comprised in three 4tG. volumes ; two on 

 the Land Birds, and the third on the Water Birds, now prepar- 

 ing for publication, and which will be delivered to subscri- 

 bers without additional expense. 



Although the costly nature of this work precludes its being 

 in the possession of many individuals, yet it is hoped that 

 all public institutions whose object is the encouragement of 

 science or the liberal arts, may be induced to patronize it : 

 and your committee beg leave to conclude with the recom- 

 mendation, that if it be deemed advisable in the present sit- 

 uation of the affairs of this society, its title be placed on the 

 list of subscribers to Mr. Audubon's work. 



2. Proceedings of the Lyceum of Natural History of Neio- York. 

 Continued from page 209. 



January, 1 829 — The President offered some observations 

 on the doubtful fossil from the coal slate of Rhode Island, 

 of which a cast was presented at the last meeting by Col. 

 Totten. He considered it to be closely allied, if not identi- 

 cal, with the Thrinav parvijlora, a specimen of which he pre- 

 sented from the coal pits of Somerset, (England.) A valu- 

 able collection of fossil invcrtebrated animals from the 



