xl MEMOIR OF SIR J. G. DALYKLL. 



of sea- water in 1822, noting all the changes from the laying of the eggs 

 till the evolution of the perfect animal. The drawings and remarks of 

 the author, in MS., were before the editor. 



Another article, on the " Propagation of Scotish Zoophytes" ap- 

 peared in 1834. It was to this paper that Sir John refers in his " Rare 

 and remarkable Animals of Scotland : — 



" Let me here premise, that some years ago, long after the subject of this paragraph 

 had come under mv notice, I submitted a few general observations regarding it to the 

 British Association for the Promotion of Science, during the sittings of that learned body 

 at Edinburgh in 1834. As the study of natural history was advancing but languidly in 

 Scotland, my principal aim was then, as on previous and subsequent occasions, to engage 

 the attention of my countrymen with the interesting phenomena which they might readily 

 discover among oiir national products. Therefore, selecting only the facts most easily at- 

 tained, nor exacting painful and protracted study, I sedulously abstained from discussing 

 various other important and still more interesting points, though sufficiently acquainted with 

 them. I believe now that it would have been better had I done differently ; for it would 

 have prevented certain authors from betraying themselves into very erroneous conclusions 

 of the import of my observations." 



" Reference is here probably made, in part at least," says the Medico- 

 Chirurgical " reviewer," to the very han^h comment of Steinstrup upon 

 the observations communicated from time to time to the ' Edinburgh 

 New Philosophical Journal' by Sir J. G. Dalyell : of which he says — 

 ' These observations are not only filled with matters of which Sir J. G. 

 Dalyell has taken a false view, but also contain phenomena which he has 

 misunderstood ; and they have consequently been of no utility in science, 

 until now that other fundamental researches have allowed of their being 

 correctly explained. Now, it is perfectly apparent to us, that the Scotish 

 observer must have been in p6.ssession of the real truth from a period 

 much earlier than that at which it had been deduced from the researches 

 of Sars and Siebold, who have hitherto enjoyed the full credit of first 

 unveiling the remarkable phenomena we shall presently describe ; al- 

 though, with the characteristic caution of his countrymen, he hesitated 

 to make his views fully known until he had most fully satisfied himself 

 of their correctness, and consequently employed, in such descriptions as 



