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i LIBRARY so 



PREFACE. 



IN the autumn of 1887 I received a letter from Dr. E. P. 

 Kamsay, at that time Curator of the Australian Museum, 

 Sydney, asking me to prepare, for the Trustees of that 

 Institution, this descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of 

 Tunicata in their Museum. The specimens sent to me in 

 several packages arrived in Liverpool during 1888 and 1889 ; 

 and in the latter year, after I had made a preliminary 

 examination of all the species and had reported upon the 

 number that would require to be described and figured, 

 arrangements were made by the Trustees as to printing the 

 Catalogue in this country and as to the preparation of the 

 plates. 



During 1890, and the following year or two, considerable 

 progress was made with the detailed examination of the 

 collection, the MS. descriptions of a number of the Ascidiaj 

 Simplices were written out and 12 plates were prepared, put 

 on the stone, and printed oft'. Then occurred the unfor- 

 tunate financial crisis in Australia, and I received a letter 

 from the Secretary to the Trustees telling me to go no 

 further with the work, and incur no fresh expense connected 

 with the catalogue till further notice. The work was put 

 aside, and was only taken up again towards the end of 1897, 

 after a lapse of several years. I am now authorised to 

 complete the MS. and plates, and to deposit them in the 

 hands of the Agent General for New South Wales, in London, 

 with a view to publication of the catalogue as soon as the 

 arrangements of the Museum permit. The type specimens 

 of all the species described have been returned to the 

 Australian Museum. 



