A RETROSPECT. 



Before bringing this Monograph to a termination I desire to state to my Readers 

 (many of whom have joined our Society since the work was commenced), the circumstances 

 under which I became the historian of the British Cretaceous Echinodermata, and 

 the difficulties I experienced and had to overcome during the progress of its composi- 

 tion, as they help to explain the apparent delay that has occurred and the length of time 

 which has elapsed between the issue of the first and last part of the Monograph. 



When the History of the British Fossil Echinodermata was first proposed to the 

 Council of the Palseontographical Society in 1851, by the late Professor Edward Eorbes, 

 it was arranged that the description of the Cretaceous species was to be undertaken by 

 him, and that of the Jurassic species by myself. Long, however, before the Jurassic 

 portion was complete my highly esteemed and learned colleague died (in November, 

 1854), very soon after he had attained the object of his life's ambition, the Chair of Natural 

 History in the University of Edinburgh. Before leaving London, Professor Eorbes had 

 gathered from various sources a large collection of materials for the Cretaceous Mono- 

 graph ; these he took with him to Edinburgh, intending to commence the work as soon as 

 he had settled down into the routine duties of his new chair ; but his sudden death 

 unfortunately deprived science of the rich store of facts and notes on the specimens he 

 had collected from various cabinets for this work. Under these painful circumstances 

 the Council of the Palseontographical Society urged me to undertake the description of 

 the Cretaceous forms as soon as I had finished the Jurassic species ; and this I consented 

 to do in the belief that the materials collected by Professor Eorbes would be available for 

 the work. On making inquiry, however, I found to my dismay that after the death of 

 my friend the fossils had been packed up with other property and sent into the cellars 

 of the University, and could not be touched until some legal matters were arranged. A 

 long delay now took place ; and at last, when a search was made, the cases containing 

 the Cretaceous specimens of Echinides could not be found. In this dilemma, and not 

 then having a good collection of Chalk Urchins myself (all my energies up to that time 

 having been given to complete my Jurassic collection), I applied to the authorities of 

 the British Museum, to the Director of the Museum of Practical Geology (the late Sir 

 Roderick Murchison) ; and to the Earl of Ducie, the Rev. Thos. Wiltshire, the late Dr. 

 Bowerbank, the late Professor Tennant, the late Dr. S. Woodward, Mr. W. Cunnington, 



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