378 Intelligence and Miscellanies. 



The association of gypsum and salt is an establislied geo- 

 logical fact, and this adds only another instance. 



We are indebted to Lockport, and other places in the 

 state of New York, for splendid specimens of gypsum and 

 selenite, in most of the forms found in other countries. 



20. Conchology of the United States. — The transactions 

 of the American Philosophical Society for 1827, contain a 

 valuable article upon the family of the Naiades by Mr. Isaac 

 Lea of Philadelphia ; in which are described eleven new^ 

 species of the genus Unio, and a new genus, named Symphy- 

 nota including eight species, four of which are new. The 

 distinctive character for Symphynota, is the testaceous con- 

 nexion of the two valves of the shell above the hinge. Mr. 

 Lea removes from the existing genera all the connate sliells 

 without regard to the forms of their teeth, with the behef, 

 that should this family be hereafter remodeled, it will present 

 only two natural genera ; one having a testaceous connexion 

 of the valves, the other dispossessed of it. He suggests that 

 Symphynota will in all probability, embrace the Hyria of La- 

 arck, the Dipsas of Leach, and the Cristaria, Prisodon, and 

 Paxyodon of Schumacher, whose species he thinks, when 

 they shall be found perfect, will turn out to be connate shells. 



21. Natural History in Canada. — It affords us much 

 pleasure to announce to such of our readers as may be un- 

 acqui.iinted with the fact, of the existence of two very flour- 

 ishing societies in Lower Canada, whose object is, mainly, 

 the promotion of natural history ; both of which were foun- 

 ded under the patronage of his excellency, the Earl of Dal- 

 housie, late governor of the British provinces in North Amer- 

 ica. One of these, "the Literary and Historical Society of 

 Quebec," has already commenced the publication of its 

 transactions, which, so far as they have come under our ob- 

 servation, appear both interesting, and valuable in the eluci- 

 dations they atford of the mineralogy and geology of those 

 regions. The other, called, " the Natural History Society of 

 Montreal," from a printed report of their progress for one 

 year, in forming collections in the different departments of 

 natural history, promises to contribute eventually, no less for 

 the cause of science in Canada, than its sister society. 



22. Swainson''s new zoological illustrations. — The fourth 

 number of this beautiful and highly finished work on natural 



