We shall close this chapter with an extract from the Public Journals of 1821, on American Natural History

The Ten-petalled Bartonia

On the unfrequented, solitary, remote banks of the Missouri, grows one of the most ornamental trees that adorn creation - the Ten-petalled Bartonia. Its height is four feet; flowers, beautifully white, expand as the sun sets, and close at the approach of morning. - Shall we say that all things were made for the gratification of man only, when he is daily taught that some of the loveliest objects the world contains, he is lestined never to behold? - Shall we believe that the sylvan natives are not formed with taste, and enjoy the scenery with which the great Artist has decorated their abode?

A Leopard was killed on the 6th day of June, 1820, by John Six, living on the waters of Green river, ten miles south-east of Hartford, in the Ohio county : length from the end of the nose to the buttock, five feet, and a tail two feet long; under the jaw the colour was black, with while spots equally proportioned; the sides and back are yellow, with black spots, curiously arranged ; a row of black spots on its back, much larger than those on its sides, extending half way of the tail; small round ears, black outside, white inside ; around its nose and mouth were long stiff bristles ; some appeared to grow out black half the length, then white six inches long. The hair on the end of the tail is longer than elsewhere ; tail slim ; its legs short, and its feet like a cat's, only much larger, with large claws ; large teeth ; supposed to weigh about one hundred and fifty pounds.

Two-Headed Snake

An extraordinary snake was recently killed in Mason, Massachusetts. It was first discovered basking in the sun, and, after much exertion, although its astonishing agility baffled for a considerable time its pursuers' efforts, it was taken. It measured two feet in length, had two heads, and two legs. The legs were nearly three inches long, were placed about four inches from the heads, and appeared well calculated to assist the animal in running.

A large Black Snake was lately killed near Halifax, Nova Scotia, which measured eleven feet nine inches. It was first noticed by a slight crack which it made with its tail, not unlike the cracking of a horse-whip, and appeared to be in great agony ; jumping up from the ground, twisting, coiling, etc. After it was killed, this was accounted for satisfactorily. Out of its mouth the tail of another snake was observed to be sticking ; on pulling it out, it actually measured five feet three inches. This was the cause of the uneasiness in the living snake ; having no doubt been partly strangled by its lars;e mouthful. This great snake was long the terror of the cow-hunters in the neighbourhood of the place where it was killed, and no doubt would have continued so for a long time, had it not been for its voraciousness, which prevented it from running. It was fleeter than any horse, and bade defia ice to the puny efforts of man to overtake it.