The President's Address. By Henry Woodward. 



U7 



And I would add lastly : — 



That those forms which have persisted through long past 

 periods of geological time, have also an extremely wide geographical 

 distribution at the present day. I illustrate this by a diagram 

 (fig. 34). 



S PAC E 



Fig. 3^ 



As might naturally be expected, it is the lowly-organised forms 

 which show the longest geological history. 



I. PEOTOZOA. 



Eadiolaeia are found throughout the whole geological series 

 and are world-wide in their distribution. 



Of the Foeaminifera., about two-thirds out of 2000 species occur 

 fossil. The longevity of some genera is truly remarkable, e.g. 

 Lagena, Noelosaria, Textularia. The first two range from Silurian, 

 and the last from Carboniferous times to the present day. Fusulina 

 and Schwagerina are world-wide in their distribution in Carbonifer- 

 ous time, forming entire beds of limestone. (They are, however, 

 confined to the Carboniferous.) 



Several giant species of Nummulina occur in early Tertiary 

 times. 



II. POEIFEEA (The Sponges). 



The Litliistid and Iiexactinellid Sponges have existed since 

 Cambrian times. The Ckdcispongice appear in late Paleozoic times 

 and only become important in the Mesozoic period. 



III. CGELENTEEATA :— I. Hydeozoa. 



The Gbaptolites are world-wide in their distribution in early 

 Paheozoic time ; they are enormously abundant and varied, and 



L 2 



