1878.] 127 



associated with these insects in the plant beds at " Fern Ledges," 

 appears, from the remains which have been preserved, to have been 

 inconsiderable, the total number up to the present time recorded 

 from Devonian strata in various parts of the world, amounts to upwards 

 of 5^600*. Of this number more than 5,300 belong to the Animal 

 Kingdom, and are distributed amongst the Protozoa-f, Goelenterata, 

 Echinodermata, Vermes, Arthropoda, Mollusca and Vertehrata. 



The Protozoa of this period are represented by Foraminifera ; 

 the Coelenterata by Spongia, by a great number of species of Actinozoa 

 (corals, &c.), and by one genus of Ili/drozoa. The Ecliinodermata of 

 the Devonian age are represented by Crinoidea (sea-lilies) ; the Vermes 

 by Annelida (worms) and Polyzoa (lace corals, &c.) ; the Artliropoda 

 by Crustacea {Trilolita, Ostracoda, &c.) and Insecta {Neuroptera, or 

 Pseudo-Neuroptera) ; the Mollusca by Brachiopoda, Lamellihranchiata, 

 Gasteropoda, Pteropoda, and Cephalopoda. 



It will be observed that of the four classes of the sub-kingdom Ar- 

 thropoda, two are represented, viz. : Crustacea^ and Insecta^ ; but of the 

 Myriopoda (centijjedesj and Arachnida (scorpions and spiders) no 

 remains have, so far as I am aware, been discovered in the Devonian 

 rocks, and it is possible that animals of these classes had not at this 

 period appeared. 



The only Vertehrata of which the remains have been discovered in 

 the Devonian rocks, are Pisces, the majority of which belonged to the 

 order of the Ganoids : of this class upwards of 260|| species have 

 been determined ; and it may be remarked that at this period the 

 higher orders of the class appear to have been the dominant tribe of 

 animals,- — hence the Devonian period has been frequently called the 

 " Age of Fishes." 



The vegetation of this period seems to have been almost confined 

 to G-ymnosperms and Cryptogams — including Coniferce, SigillaricB, 

 Calamites, Asterophyllites, Lepidodendra, &c. ; and ferns of the genera 

 Cyclopferis, Neuropteris, Sphenopteris, B y meiiop>hylUtes, Pecopteris and 

 Phacliiopteris. There were also numerous .^Zyce. 



The Avenue, Surbiton Hill : 



Wi October, 1878. 



* This calculation is of course liable to daily alterations as discoveries of new species are 

 made known. See Introduction (p. 8) to " The Flora and Fauna of the Devonian and Carbon- 

 iferous Periods," by Dr. Bigsby, F.E.S., London, 1878. 



t I have followed the nomenclature and arrangement adopted by Mr. Pascoe in his " Zoological 

 Clas.sification " (1877). 



X About 300 species of Crustacea have been obtained from the Devonian rocks. 



5 The 6 species before described. 



y " Flora and Fauna of the Devonian, &c., Periods," antea cit , pp. 100—100. 



