180 Mr. Toulmin Smith on the Ventriculidse 



structure of the polypidom of the Ventriculidse differ from that 

 of all other known fossil and from all known recent forms ? It 

 differs in the much higher character, the much greater complexity 

 and delicacy of its organization ; in the peculiar adaptation in it 

 to the nature and purposes of polyzoic life. It has been seen that 

 the polypidom of the Ventriculidse exhibits, in the most marked 

 and exquisite manner, structure, — in the true sense of that word 

 and as opposed to that mere mechanical arrangement which is ex- 

 hibited by most vegetable and many animal tissues, and which 

 results from the forms taken, more or less regularly according to 

 circumstances, by the mere close compression against each other 

 of circular cells, which causes them to assume a hexagonal, square 

 or irregularly angular form. The octahedral structure of the 

 Ventriculidse on the contrary must take rank with the highest 

 forms of animal structure, as one of the most striking as well as 

 the most elegant and delicate of the evidences which the animal 

 kingdom can afford of design and adaptation. 



The first conclusion then which must be drawn, if the prin- 

 ciples above indicated be sound, is that the being for whose sup- 

 port this so delicate framework was organized must have be- 

 longed to a very high order ; to a higher order than any known 

 zoophyte recent or fossil. 



With an indication of this kind before us, the next legitimate 

 step in the inquiry seems to be to ask, are there any individual 

 characters which distinguish any among the higher orders of 

 zoophytes of which any traces can be found to have been preserved 

 to us in the fossil forms of the Ventriculidee ? 



And by a different process we are brought pretty nearly to the 

 same point. It will be useful, as a confirmation of the value of 

 the test above applied, briefly to allude to this. When it is 

 found that the so-called (at one time) polyp-cells and (at another) 

 absorbents are neither the one nor the other, the inquirer has 

 lost hold of any hint or suggestion from any previous inquirer as 

 to the true character and affinities of these bodies. He asks first, 

 on entering on the inquiry for himself, whether there be no cha- 

 racters in common between these bodies and the single and simple 

 zoophytes of the present day or the more simple of the compo- 

 site zoophytes. But he finds nothing which can connect them 

 with any of either the Hydrozoa or Anthozoa of Owen (Anthozoa 

 of Johnston). The structure of the polypidom of the Alcyonium, 

 which it is desirable specially to mention as these bodies have 

 been so often referred to that affinity, is found to be essentially 

 different. If he refer to the excellent figure and description 

 given on p. 176 of Johnston's ' Zoophytes*/ or, still more conclu- 



* Second ed. 1847. It is proper further to remark, that the characters 

 assigned by Dr. Johnston (p. 174) as generic coincide with this figure and 



