ECHINOIDEA. II. 



tlie moment the famous Report on the Challenger -Echinoidea, snrely Professor A g a s s i z has observed 

 that I regard, for instance, \V\ville Thomson' s work on the Porcupine -Echinoidea as one of the 

 very best ever published on the recent forms, and that I liave the most profound respect for Professor 

 Doderlein's great work on tlie Cidarids, for the works of Professor Koehler. and for many others 

 whom I might name. Tliat I do not agree witli these antliors in all points, is far from implying a 

 slight appreciation of their work. As for challenging it all as worthless because it is not based upon 

 m\ (his) methods for the solution of all Echinological problems , can it realh' be necessary for me to 

 express mv conviction that any accnrate and careful scientific research retains its worth, whatever 

 method has been nsed? — If it be found, however, that some structure like the pedicellariæ is emi- 

 nentlv important for classification, then conseqnentiy no species of which the test only has been de- 

 scribed ihowever perfect that description may bei can be assigned to its definite position in the system 

 before that special structure has been made know n. This logicai conclusion is far from being that 

 implied bv Professor Agassiz in the following remark (Op. cit. p. 19): The height of ab.snrdity is finally 

 reached when \ve are told that nothing can be said of the affinities of species of which pedicellariæ 

 have not been e.xamined {hv him). The word nothing- as used b\- me, when taken in reasonable 

 connection with the conte.xt, is seen to mean that one cannot sa\- with certainty to which genus such 

 a species belongs, e. g. Goniocidaris Dudrrlriiii \V^x1 I. p. 28) or .lsf//tiiosaii/a longispinum (Ibid. p. 56), 

 and in such piaces I ha\e added the words with certainty. That in any case m\- proviso applies 

 onl\- to those families in which pedicellariæ are of prominent systematic importance should be self- 

 e\ident, but it ma^• not be superfluous to state the faet explicith' here. For the rest Professor Ag as si z 

 will probabh' himself admit that he was not justified in designating as an absurdity m\- view that 

 species, whose most important s\-stematic characters are unknown, cannot be assigned to their true 

 position, seeing that Professor Doderlein, whom both Agassiz and I honour with the highest ap- 

 preciation for his profound and elaborate works, now also puts aside as iuccrtæ sedis such species as 

 Dorocidaris paiHDiiciisis A. Ag. and Porocidaris Shnrrcri A. Ag. on account of their pedicellariæ being 

 iniknown, thougli they are otherwise ver\' carefulh' described. (Echinoiden d. deutsch. Tiefsee- 

 Exped. p. 103.) 



To turn to \\\\ personal remarks, which are characterised as being entirely out of place in a 

 scientific niemoir , I have already stated that I avoided personalities as far as possible, and in the 

 whole of mv work I can recall only two remarks to which Professor Agassiz might object on such 

 grounds. The studv of the Challenger Echinoids preserved in the British Museum has shown me that 

 Professor Agassiz has in several cases put one or more notes of interrogation on the labels in the jars, 

 but has omitted to mention in the text that the Identification was doubtful. Without seeing the labels 

 no one would imagine that the published statements are reall\ doubtful. They appear in the work 

 as certain facts and as such have been quoted by other authors with the consequent multiplication of 

 insecurelv based conclusions. On this subject I observed: this way of proceeding is very objectionable , 

 and on p. 58: it cannot be considered to be correct to figure details of a specimen, referred with doubt 

 to .some species, without any reservation under the name of that species. I do not think these remarks 

 out of place, where such facts are pointed out; but it is evidently these small reflections which have 

 caused the above-cited remark of Professor Agassiz, as well as the following: Having stated in one 



