Miscellanies. 215 
19. Mr. C. U. Shepard’s private school of Mineralogy and other 
Branches of Natural History.—In our last No. (Vol. 25 pa. 431) 
we mentioned this important private undertaking. We are happy to 
add, that several gentlemen, accidentally associated, from remote 
states and a still more remote foreign country, are now availing them- 
selves of the important advantages which Mr. Shepard is able to 
afford them. We refer to our previous notice of this subject, as ci- 
ted above ; and with pleasure add, that the experiment is in very 
successful progress, and that not a doubt can be entertained of the 
entire success of this school, provided a sufficient number of pupils 
should attend, to afford a fair compensation to the highly qualified 
gentleman whom (with no other interest than that of a kindly feeling 
towards science and towards this its meritorious devotee,) we are 
proud to recommend, to the. American public as entirely worthy of 
that confidence which he would be as slow to ask as he will be prompt 
to deserve. It is our earnest wish that this high advantage may be 
added to the other means of scientific instruction enjoyed in our 
country. We have the satisfaction to add that, since our last No. 
a small fund, contributed by the society of the Alumni of Yale Col- 
lege, has been made, in part, available to afford without charge to the 
pupils a course of lectures on conchology which in the cabinet of 
Yale College, Mr. Shepard, is now engaged in delivering, with the 
fine illustrations afforded by his beautiful collection of shells. 
This course will be followed by one on Botany, by Mr. Shepard, 
for which, as there is no fund to support it, a small fee is paid. A 
public course of Mineralogy succeeded by an extended one on Geolo- 
gy is given, every spring and summer, in the Cabinet of Yale Col- 
lege; and this, for the present, completes the list of courses of instruc- 
tion here in Natural History. We hope however to see Zoology added 
at a future day. There are full courses on all the branches of the- 
oretical, and experimental science ; as well as in medicine, law and di- 
vinity, in addition to the instruction by recitations and drilling in the 
class-rooms. 
20. Ligneous Stems of American Coal-fields desiredicWe take 
the liberty of inviting the attention of our scientific friends and cor- 
respondents to the interesting researches, now going on, in the hands 
of H. T. M. Witham, Esq. of Edinburgh, and also of Lartington, 
Yorkshire. Of that gentleman’s discoveries we gave a notice in this 
Journal, Vol. 25, pa. 108; he is still prosecuting them with ardor 
