Mr. S. P. Woodward on the genus Scissurella. 401 



sympathise with Keber, by repeating with him in conclusion the 

 words of the great embryologist Von Baer : — 



'^ The future still reserves rewards for more than one observer ; 

 but the palm will only belong to him who shall be fortunate 

 enough in regard to the forces which preside in the formation of 

 the animal body to determine their place amongst the general 

 forces which govern the system of the world. The tree from 

 which the cradle of this man will be made, has not yet germi- 

 nated in the forest.'^ 



XXXVI. — Another Note on Scissurella. 

 By S. P. Woodward, F.G.S. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural Histor;/. 



Gentlemen, 

 When a naturalist thinks he has discovered an error in your 

 pages, he is bound in courtesy to communicate his suspicions to 

 the author — rather than the editor — that he may have an oppor- 

 tunity of putting himself right. I am compelled for once to 

 depart from this practice, because I have protested in vain 

 against the publication of the mistake. 



The distribution of Mr. Jeffreys' Mediterranean shells was 

 entrusted to Mr. E. Damon of Weymouth, who kindly sent me 

 examples of Scissurella elegans. In these specimens I observed, 

 and pointed out to Mr. Jeffreys, the conversion of the fissure into 

 2i foramen when the shell became adult; a circumstance which, 

 like the operculum, had escaped his observation. I proposed, in 

 accordance with modern practice, to give a subgeneric name to 

 the species exhibiting this character ; but on referring to Philippi, 

 and Sowerby (Zool. Journ. 1824), I found it was already known, 

 and existed in the species which Sowerby regarded as typical. 



I was, therefore, rather astonished when Mr. Jeffreys told me, 

 some time after, that he had written an article for the ^ Annals,' 

 adopting the notion I had discarded, and seeking to justify it 

 by the testimony of persons unacquainted with the facts of the 

 case. I urged him to refer to D'Orbigny's original paper in the 

 Memoirs of the Natural History Society of Paris for 1823, but 

 he declined taking the trouble, adding that I could do it. 



In this Memoir the genus Scissurella was first described, and 

 illustrated by large figures. The first and second species, 

 S. Icevigata and costata, were found living on sea-weed; the 

 others, S. decussata and elegans, were obtained from the newest 

 tertiary sands of Castel Arquato, in the Plaisantin. In the year 

 1844, M. Philippi figured two other recent species, S. plicata 



Ann. ^ Mag, N. Hist. Ser.2. Vol.x\'\i. 26 



