Catalogue Ratsonné. 231 
Mr. Collier, finding the difficulties to be encountered in an arrangement 
of shells founded on the structure of the animal, too many and too great, 
to render it conducive to any practical result, vindicates the method 
based on the characters of the shell. After giving a brief review of the 
features of mollusca, showing them to be often diiferent among indivi- 
viduals of the same family, considered as to the form of the shell, and to 
be always so intermingled as not to afford generic distinctions, the author 
animadverts upon the erroneous application of terms which have no re- 
lation to distinguishing characters, and enumerates the paris or condi- 
tions pecaliar to univalve shells, by which he proposes to distinguish and 
nominate families. Cavity, lip, columella, rosirum or beak, spire, open, tu- 
bular, are the paris and conditions for generic distinction and denomina+ 
tion. °** Having objections to the Linnean classification and principle 
of nomenclature,” says Mr. Collier, “I beg to submit the above, as at 
least preferable, though not perhaps the very best which the subject will ad- 
mit of.’ When will this rage for system-hunting cease? Mr. Collier 
should recollect that an influential character in science can alone autno- 
rize an attempt to disturb the accepted principles of arrangement. 
Observations on certain Resinous and Balsamic Substances found 
in Guiana. By Dr. Hancocx.—Ibid, p. 233. 
A botanical and medical description of carana, (a gum resin which exudes 
spontaneously from the ackaiari tree;) Hyowa, (a balsam obtained from 
the Amyris ambrosiaca of Willdenow-Icica 7-phylle of Aublet;) Ara- 
kusiri, (a balsam more odoriferous even than the true balm of Gilead, 
and produced by the Icica aracouchine of Aublet, A. heterophylle, as 
improperly named by Willd. ;) Mani, (the gum of the Moronobea cocci- 
nea of Aublet ;) Simiri, (ths resin of the Hymenea courbaril ;) Ducali, 
(a milky substance produced by a tree apparently of the family Sapota- 
cee ;) Caoutchuc, (from the Siphonia elastica;) Balsamo Real, (from a 
species of Amyris;) Vesicamo, (a new aromatic resin, which Dr. H. has 
committed to the examination of Professor Brande;) and Kofa, (the 
produce of a species of Clusia. ) 
On the Temple of Jupiter Serapis at Pozzuoli, and the Pheno- 
mena which it exhibits. By James D. Forsess, Esq.—Tbid, 
p. 260. 
This paper, whose interest will principally be appreciated by the classical 
antiquary, connects itself with natural history by a detail of the theories 
which propose to account for the singular phenomenon exhibited in the 
ruins of the temple near Pozzuoli. At the height of 10 feet above the 
base of the pillars, and in a position exactly corresponding in all, is a 
zone of 6 feet in height, where the marble has been perforated by the 
Mytilus lithophagus. 
<¢ The perforations,” says Mr. Forbes, “‘ are of considerable depth and 
size, and therefore manifest a long-continued abode of the Mytih, and 
consequently a long-continued immersion in sea water. How this should 
have taken place it is most perplexing to explain. With regard to their 
present height above the sea, it is a singular fact, that the platform of 
the temple is about one foot below high water-mark, (for there are small 
tides in the Bay of Naples,) so that the sea water.actually rises and falls 
at present in the building, being only 100 feet from it. It cannot possi- 
bly be imagined that the temple was built under such circumstances. 
There are, therefore, proved to be two relative changes of the level of the 
sea, which it is the business of the naturalist to explain. By losing sight 
of the latter change altogether, or by purposely giving it up as inex- 
plicable, some writers have given a novel and ingenious speculation, but 
rather, we think, overshot the mark.” 
After weighing the different hypotheses which have been advanced to ac- 
count for this remarkable fact, Mr. Forbes states the arguments pro and 
con the opinion which he adopts, viz. That the land was alternately low- 
ered and elevated by earthquakes, and hence the relative level of the sea 
changed,—an idea entertained by the greater number of the older wri- 
