My descriptions accompany them.

The originals are retained as too valuable to be sent out of the country.
"The Paddle Fish is the _spatularia_ of Shaw and _polyodon_ of Lacepede.
It lives in the Mississippi only, and the skeleton, though incomplete, is better than any other person here possesses.

It is carefully preserved in my collection.
"The Serpent is a species of the Linnaean genus Anguis, the _orveto_ of the French, and the _blind worm_ of the English.

The loss of the tail of this fragile creature may render an opinion a little dubious, but it is supposed to be an _ophias aureus_ of Dandin, corresponding to the Anguis ventralis of Linn, figured by Catesby.
"The shells afford a rich amount of undescribed species.

The whole of the univalves and bivalves received from Messrs.