OR BRACUIOPODA. 341 



organization of several of the Bracliiopotlan types, could 

 our knowledge of them be said to be sufficient for a clear 

 perception of their true relations with other acephalous 

 mollusks. The memoir, in which Mr. Owen published the 

 details of his observations, is one of the chief ornaments 

 of the first volume of the Transactions of the Zoological 

 Society of London. 



Professor Owen concludes that in all essential points 

 the Brachiopoda closely correspond with the Acephalous 

 Mollusca, and considers them "as being intermediate to 

 the Lamellibrachiate and Tunicate orders, not, however, 

 possessing, so far as they are at present known, distinctive 

 characters of sufficient importance to justify their being 

 regarded as a distinct class of mollusks, but forming a sepa- 

 rate group of equal value with the Lamellibranchiata." * 



Brachiopods are so rare or so local in the British 

 seas, that ordinary collectors are not likely to meet with 

 any. Not very long ago a British Brachiopod was one 

 of the brighest gems in any collection so fortunate as to 

 contain it. Three or four minute and undeveloped exam- 

 ples of Terehratula ca^wt serpentis, and a few Crania, 

 were all we were likely to meet with after exploring the 

 great majority of public or private cabinets. Of late 

 years great numbers of that interesting Terehratula have 

 been taken, and the Crania has also been found in quan- 

 tity, so that there is no longer difficulty in obtaining an 

 indigenous type of the order. 



A visit to any cabinet of fossil remains will, however, 

 show that though now so scarce in this region of the globe, 

 they were once present in myriads. To have any correct 

 notion of the varied modifications of form and structure 

 presented by Palliobranchiate Mollusks, it is absolutely 



* Zool. Trans, vol. i. p. 159. 



