- Geographical Collections. — 293. 
name of Edwards, who resided at Mexico. This grant borders that of Austin, 
and contains more than 2000 square miles. To tlre north of this grant is ano- 
ther made to Mr. Froth Thorn, son-in-law of Edwards; and on the other side 
of this a third made to General Weavill. 
The colony known by the name of Fredonia, in the province of Texas, was 
established in 1824 by Mr Austin, a lot of 640 acres, and an habitation, on the 
borders of the Gulf of Mexico, were offered to every colonist. The government 
was a federal republic, and the constitution was literally copied from that of the 
United states ; but the Catholic religion was alone to be tolerated. 
In 1825, Captain Seftwick, of Russelville in Kentucky, obtained from the 
Mexican government a portion of territory of from six to eight millions of acres, 
in the province of Texas, along the borders of Louisiana. One of the principal 
conditions of this grant was, that a certain number of colonists should be free 
from all taxes during five years. 
The province of Texas is well watered. After the Sabine, which is naviga- 
ble, many other rivers are met with which can bear small craft; as the Brasse, 
by which a commerce is carried on with New Orleans, by the Gulf of Mexico ; 
the Rio Trinite Colorado, and lastly, the Rio del Norte. : 
The most important town in the province of Texas is San Antonio de Bejar, 
upon a branch of the river of the same name. ‘This part is entirely inhabited by 
Spaniards ; the soil is excellent, and all the habitations watered by artificial ca- 
nals, which cause the waters of the Rio and of neighbouring springs to irrigate 
the gardens and fields. The principal commerce of this province is in mules, 
which are taken into the United States, and sold principally in Louisiana, Geor- 
gia, and Virginia. 
These countries, not having hitherto been visited by any scientific traveller, 
are almost entirely unknown. 

NATURAL-HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS. 
Extract from the Analysis of the Labours of the Academy of Sciences during 
the year 1828; by BARON CuUVIER. (Continued from the last Number. ) 
-Zoology.—The natural history of animals has given rise, this year, to works 
as important as numerous: there is scarcely a class, and scarcely a function, to 
which the observations of naturalists have not been directed. , 
M. Geoffroy St. Hilaire, in his lectures on the mammalia, which have been pub- 
lished by means of short hand, has treated with detail on the history of the mole, 
and has communicated to the Academy many of the articles from these lectures 
which relate to it. 
We have long known that, notwithstanding the extraordinary small size of its 
eye, the mole is not insensible to the stimulus of light, and from recent observa- 
tions, it even appears that its vision is extremely delicate; nevertheless some ana- 
tomists think that it has no optic nerve, and thence conclude that the sense of 
sight is removed to the fifth pair; but other anatomists think that they can de- 
tect the optic nerve, excessively minute, it is true, but passing from the same 
part of the brain, uniting with the nerve of the fifth pair, and distributing itself 
on the eye. 
However this may be, M. Geoffroy has sought for the causes which have been 
able to reduce the eye of the mole to such small dimensions, and to destroy or 
diminish to this degree its optic nerve. He discovered them in the exceeding 
developement of the olfactory apparatus, in the size of the nasal fossee, in the 
magnitude ofthe superior maxillary nerve, and especially in the extraordinary 
