with a membrane. The cancelli are remarkably regular, There is a singular consolidation of the nasal and maxillary bones. They are not united by any of the description of sutures found in quadrupeds, but form one entire mass of uniform consistence all through. A large grove or canal presents itself in the superior portion of this bone, upon the side of which considerable quantities of ambergris may be collected, which appears to have suffered little or no decomposition or change by age. It burns with a beautiful bright flame, and emits an odoriferous smell while burning; it is of a greasy consistence, similar to adipocire. The foramen for the transmission of the facial nerve is of an immense size. In the inferior portion of this stupendous bone there appears to be an articulating depression, in which the superior angle of the lower jaw might have been articulated. The other bones are; one of a cylindrical shape, with a round head similar to the os humeris in quadrupeds. It is two feet in length, and about ten inches in diameter, with about two processes near the head, in some respects similar to the trochanters of the femoris. The cartilaginous extremities appear to have been entirely detached. Upon one end a surface for the articulation of two bones appears, one of which is in the collection. This bone is over one foot in length, and of a flattened cylindrical shape; the cartilaginous extremities are also gone. It is of a firmer consistence than any of the other bones, with a singular irradiation of ossific appearance on the outside surface. These two bones are probably the leg of the animal. There are also lumbar, dorsal, and cervical vertebra. The cylindrical portions of those of the first class are fourteen inches in diameter, with transverse processes, in every res pect like those of quadrupeds. One of them has the intrevertebral substance completely detached; it is about twelve inches in diameter, and perhaps two inches thick in the centre, tapering gradually to the extremities; this specimen is in a perfect state of preservation. In the articulation of these bones there is considerable analogy to the human vertebra. To judge from the appearance of this portion of the cranium which we have seen, if this monster was of the Balena species, his length could not be less than two hundred and fifty feet. It is stated, that from this place, whence these remains were disinterred, a large carnivorous tooth was found, and has been carried away. It is also related, that in the year 1799, many remains of ante-diluvian creation were taken up near this same place, and shipped to Europe. (Louisiana Gazette.) Notice of several new Localities of American Minerals, by Mr Charles U. Shepard.*-I have recently made a mineralogical excursion through a part of the counties of Hampshire, Berkshire, and Franklin. In the course of my tour, several things have fallen under my notice, which perhaps may not be deemed uninteresting. While at the celebrated Tourmaline locality in Goshen, I observed a rock which contained very beautiful spodumene. It occurred in large laminated masses, and was associated with green and blue tourmalines, beryl, carbonate of manganese, cleavelandite, and rose coloured mica. Its colours were unusually fine, being greyish white, pale green, and rarely rose red. Its lustre was remarkably shining, and it possessed an uncommon degree of translucency. It was frequently penetrated by crystals of tourmaline, and almost uniformly invested with a very thin coating of carbonate of manganese, which, in the interior of the rock, was in a pulverulent state, and of a delicate rose red colour, but near the surface where it was exposed to the action of the atmosphere, it was brownish black. The beryl, which accompanied the spodumene was not in crystals, but in laminated masses of a moderate size. It was of a greenish white colour, and transparent. This beryl bears some resemblance to topaz, but its specific gravity, which is 2.7, sufficiently identifies it with the beryl. Spodumene is a very abundant mineral in Goshen. I observed it in several other places in that town, but in no place can so fine specimens be procured as at the Tourmaline locality. In the north part of the town of Norwich is an extraordinary locality of beryls. They occur in granite, and are remarkable for the regularity of their crystals, as well as for their fine green colour and transparency. They are very various in their dimensions. I obtained crystals from one quarter of an inch, to upwards of four inches in diameter. They assume the usual form of this mineral,-a hexahedral prism, terminated by single planes. There was a famous crystal found in the soil, in the immediate vicinity of this spot, a few years since, which is now in my possession.† It has, *Extracted from a letter to one of the Editors. + I was informed by the person who found it, that it excited much curiosity in the neighbourhood, and owing to its fine green colour and great regularity, was considered as a "petrified junk bottle." however, sustained considerable injury from the insane curiosity of those who have examined it. One person, in order the better to become acquainted with its properties, threw it against a rock, which ruined one of its lateral faces, and also broke off a part of its finest terminal face; and another subjected it for a considerable time to the heat of a fire, which very much injured its colour. It however still remains a noble beryl, and is superb even in ruins. It measures four and a half inches in diameter, and six inches in length. The faces are remarkably smooth and brilliant, and are entirely destitute of striæ. Contiguous to this place, I found, in large veins of quartz in mica slate, red oxide of titanium, and small quantities of graphite of a very superior quality. In Chesterfield, at the well known spot where occur tourmalines, &c. I observed quartz crystallized in the form of the primary rhomboid. It was imbedded in feldspar. The crystals were pretty uniformly a quarter of an inch in diameter; in most instances their lateral solid angles were replaced by single planes, and very rarely by two planes. Their surfaces were not smooth or brilliant. From the town of Blandford, I obtained good specimens of schillerspar. It occurs in serpentine, and is associated with anthophylite. Its structure is distinctly foliated in one direction. Its laminæ possess a shining lustre, which is occasionally metallic. Its colour is dark olive green, and sometimes black. It is opaque, and of about the same hardness as glass. Alone, before the blow-pipe, it fuses with difficulty, and only on the edges; with borax, it melts into a bottle-green glass. In the cabinet of Dr Emmons of Chester, I was shown specimens of a mineral considered as stilbite, which from the form of its crystals, and remarkably pearly lustre, I at once recognised to be heulandite. It occurs in right oblique-angled prisms of 130°, and also in laminar masses. These crystals have two of their opposed lateral planes longer than the other two, and are not modified, except by the occasional replacement of their acute lateral edges. They yield to mechanical division in one direction only, which is perpendicular to their prismatic axes. They are colourless and transparent, and possessed of a very superior lustre. In size they usually fall short of one eighth of an inch in diameter. Fragments of crystals placed on charcoal, before the blow-pipe, melt with intamescence, and while melting emit a phosphoric light. This mineral occurs in Chester, on mica slate, and is accompanied by chabasie and stilbite. I visited the spot from whence the specimens which I saw were obtained, but did not succeed in finding any specimens; the locality appeared to be entirely exhausted. cence. In the same cabinet, I saw small specimens of a mineral from Middlefield, which I have ascertained to be arragonite. It is of a yellow colour, transparent, sufficiently hard to scratch fluate of lime, and dissolves in nitric acid, with effervesIts specific gravity is 2.39. The specimens which I saw, appeared to be fragments of crystals, and so closely did they resemble crystallized arragonite from Bilin, Bohemia, that it was quite impossible to discover any difference between them. I regretted that it was not in my power to visit the spot from whence these specimens were obtained. I was informed by Dr Emmons, by whom they were discovered, that they occurred with rhombspar in steatite. In Middlefield, in the neighbourhood of the spot where the crystallized steatite is found, Dr Emmons and myself discovered very beautiful pimelite. It occurs in serpentine. It possesses a very deep apple green colour, is very pliable, and when first broken from a cavity is greasy to the touch. In the town of Zoar, is a locality of Anthophyllite. It exists in serpentine, and resembles that which is found in Blandford, except that the crystals or fibres are smaller, and are not separated by the intervention of talc. Near the Iron Works in Hawley, I obtained specimens of Zoisite, which surpass in beauty any which I ever beheld. It is found in veins of quartz, traversing hornblende rock. The crystals vary in their dimensious; being from an eighth to a quarter of an inch in diameter, and from two to four inches in length. They occur in oblique four-sided prisms, which are variously terminated. They are much compressed in many instances, and afford a variety of angles, from 116° to 122°. The most of them have their acute lateral edges replaced by single planes, and sometimes their obtuse lateral edges. The larger crystals are longitudinally striated. The colour of this zoisite is yellowish brown, and its lustre is splendent to an extraordinary degree. Some of the smaller crystals are translucent. Associated with it in a few instances, I observed massive phosphate of lime of a yellowish green colour. While at Pittsfield, I had an opportunity of seeing a specimen of the mineral frcm Salisbury, (Con.) which has been |