Professor Smith's Conspectus of the Biatomaeese. 117 



classification ; for though many instances may be cited where 

 frustules of the stipitate, concatinate, tubular, frondose, or gela- 

 tinous families or genera, may have been found in a free state, I 

 have little doubt that if the entire course of the process of reproduc- 

 tion had been observed they would have been found to revert to 

 their normal condition. 



At any rate we must all be thankful to Professor Smith for his 

 attempt to reduce within a reasonable limit, and into something 

 like order, the present chaotic confusion of families, genera, and 

 synonyms. 



Reading, February, 1873. 



