Botany and same 455 
whic must, ultima se dese their sustenance from ner cae 
kingdom. The supply which wed might obtain from the dead bodies 
of those organisms which die at the surface, and slowly sink through 
two or three miles of water to te bottom, seems tota tally cae 
for Dr. Wallich has proved that the animals, starfishes for instance, not 
only exist at those depths, but exist in great numbers. We wonld call 
the attention of those who may have an opportunity of obtaining speci- 
mens of the bottom at great depths, to the great importance of a mi- 
croscopic examination of these specimens as soon as taken from the 
“ Fresh water should, of course, be used in spreading the mud upon 
the slide. 
genus and species of Pholadide, m oo Smithii,” I have satisfied 
miyucit that Mr, Tryon is wrong in considering the accessory valve as 
double, and that the shell in question is a true Martesia. It is, in fact, 
very closely allied to M. cts sig which often presents an accessory 
ni of precisely the same charact Wa. Stimpson. 
On Part II. of Prof. G. Tons $ Prodromo della Teonografia Gene- 
aad “degli Ofidi ; by E. D, a the constantly appearing con- 
tributions to Her iy are more valuable than those upon the 
serpents, issued by Prof. G at AN, director of the Museum = Milan. This 
value is however dependent rather r upon the number of new forms made 
known, and the beautiful ons illustrating the work, hae upon unusual 
merit in the diagnoses, or in recognition of cotemporary labors. 
The second part, which has come to our hands through the kind atten- 
tion of Prof. Jan, treats of the Calamaride. It is not our intention to 
discuss the classification of the suborder of the Asinea,* but we will re- 
ra 
with characters by which we can isolate them in a natural manner. It 
has therefore seemed best that the term “family” should be restricted to 
= three groups here mentioned. It is true that among Colubride@ the 
are as varied as are the relations of these “families,” and it may 
“ag said that the simplicity of opbidian structure has deprived us of the 
means of defining groups, whose equivalents are elsewhere much more 
gpnsible. Admitting this to be the case,—how nearly equivalent are 
pds groups anywhere, and how uniform is zoological rank ? Unti 
it ¢ n be age that this rank is not to be expressed by er formula 
* Eurystomatous serpents with an unabbreviated os maxillare. subor- 
ders of the a as ted by the writer, are, on the one hand, the Proerogly. 
pha and Sa a, on the other, Tortricina (Tortricide and Uropeltide 
and Seolecopii Typhlopide). 
* Former d subfamilies by the writer. 
