2Q0LOGY. 
CONCHOLOGY. 
The zoology of this portion of Canada has undergone a very 
material change, since its early settlement, not unly relative to the 
Mammals and Fish, but also to the Birds, Reptiles, and Shells. 
Among the latter, quite a number of the Hed/czes, or land snails, 
have disappeared, as well as several species of the Uzzos, fresh 
water Muscles, as in the case with. Uzios Striatus, and U. Gtbo- 
sus ; these were formerly found, in great plenty, in Soper’s Creek, 
between his mill and the Grand Trunk bridge. The U. Fragzlis, 
paper shell Muscle, is found at the mouth of Burk’s marsh, and 
U. Complimatus, pink shell Muscles, on the mud shoals, common 
to all the marshes, and at Scugog Lake. This Muscle, it is well 
known, forms, during the winter, the principal food of the Musk 
Rat, and the numbers: devoured by a small family in one season, 
would appear almost incredible ; the empty shells, lying adjacent 
to their house, would amount to several wagon-loads. There are, 
in all, about fifteen known species in Canada, one of which is ed- 
“ible. Another species, which was found in the lower St. Law- 
rence, U. Margratiera, was taken in great numbers, on account 
of a pearl which it supplied ; and at that time, the exportation of 
this pearl formed quite an important branch of commerce, between 
Canada and France. The Zymnzas are still numerous in the 
ponds and marshes, and they, as well as the Planorbis, have been 
appropriated by the ladies, for the purpose of making ornamental 
frame-work, and shell baskets. These muscles form a large por- 
tion of the food of aquatic birds and fish. 
REPTILLIA.—OPHIDIA., 
As regards the reptiles, a very popular, but erroneous, impres- 
sion exists, that some of the snakes and lizards, in our immediate 
