Miscellanies. 389 



black as night — all the four feet greatly resemble the human hand in 

 shape, and are all white. Say supposes this to be what Barton calls 

 the black shrew. I do not find it mentioned in Dr. DeKay's Report 

 to the legislature of New York. Dr. Kirtland mentions it in his Re- 

 port to the legislature of Ohio, as inhabiting that State, but adds, in a 

 note, page 175, that " it does not agree with Mr. Say's description, 

 and it may prove to be only a variety of the DeKayii." 



I am gratified to add these two animals to the list of the mammif- 

 erous animals of Connecticut. 



Elm Wood Place, Stratford, Sept. 3, 1840. 



15. TJie Natural History and Classification of Fishes, Amphib- 

 ians, and Reptiles, or Monocardian animals: by Wm. Swainson, 

 F. L. S. &c. Vol. 2, (Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopaedia,) 450 pages. 



Mr. Swainson has given to the public a complete classification of 

 reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, in this volume. Descriptions of the 

 tribes, families, subfamilies, genera, and subgenera, could not, of 

 course, be given at length in a work of this size ; but the distinguish- 

 ing characters are given in a iew words, with great perspicuity. 



The arrangement is sufficiently near that of Cuvier, but is varied 

 for the purpose of showing the analogies of the various families. 

 We were dissatisfied with this departure, until we saw the utility of 

 it in pointing out the affinities, and simplifying the study of fishes. 

 Mr. S. has given many original tables, showing the analogies of the 

 different families, as the following : 



Analogies of the Percin^ and the SERRANiNiE. 



Genera of Genera of the 



Percin^. Analogies. SerraninjE. 



■r, ^ Body oblong, or ovate ; mouth horizon- ) ^ 



Perca. ^^11 i Serranus. 



^ tal, large. ) 



Enoplosifs. Body short, roundish ; mouth small. Pentaceros. 



. ( Muzzle broad, projecting over the lower ) . 



AspRO. \ ■ ' r J & I Acerina. 



( jaw. S 



TT (Mouth subvertical, large; lower iaw ) ^ 



HuRO. < 1 , ' 6 ' "* > Grystes. 



( longest. ) 



. ( Tail much developed ; eyes remarkably ) -p 



Apogon. < , r 5 .7 J \ Etelis. 



I large. ) 



Sub-genera of the Sub-genera of the 



genus Perca. Analogies. genus Serranus. 



T> /-I ^ Pre-eminently typical : caudal fin ) o /-. 



Perca. Cuv. \ r ^ i •' •' ^ > inerranus. Cuv. 



( forked. ^ 



Lates. Cuv. Body broad; caudal fin rounded. Chromileptes. Sw. 



Centropomus. Cuv. Anal spines very large. Plectropoma. Cuv. ' 



Vol. sxxix, No. 2.— July-September, 1840. 50 



