vill A GENERAL NOTICE OF THE BIOLOGICAL MEMOIRS. 
On parting with these reports, it may be appropriate to say a few words 
on what has most struck me, in the prolonged and studious attention that I 
have given to them. First of all there stands out the observant care of their 
duties by Mr. Hodgson and Dr. Koettlitz as collectors, under conditions always of 
discomfort, and often of danger. In the second place, one cannot but be impressed 
with the varied attainments that Dr. Wilson brought to the tasks that he had to 
perform ; of his memoirs it may be said that they breathe the true spirit of the 
intelligent lover of animals, and they raised a number of interesting questions 
which made another visit to the Antarctic regions a necessity for their solution. 
Dr. Wilson is not only a naturalist, but he also possesses great power over brush and 
pencil, and his drawings added considerably to the attractiveness of Volume II. 
I shall not enter at any greater length into Dr. Wilson’s observations on Birds, 
for any zoologist who has not yet read them should make himself acquainted with 
them at once. The same is true of his report on Whales and Seals, the skins of 
which were brought home in excellent condition. 
Morphological observations of considerable interest are to be found in the 
memoirs on the embryos of seals, the development of the feathers of the penguins, 
and the account of two new species of Cephalodiscus, whose possession of a noto- 
chord and gill slts indicates a possible aflinity to Man that would not be 
expected at first sight. 
Special attention should also be called to the two reports on Echinoderm 
Larvee which open up several points of general interest. 
Turning to the more strictly systematic memoirs I have to note that two 
new sub-families have been created, both for Caleareous Sponges. In the zoological 
reports 23 new genera are proposed, but none among plants; there appear to 
be 201 new species of animals, and 26 of plants. As to the validity of the 
new species, specialists alone can judge, and even these, as we know, differ 
among themselves. I may suggest that another collection should be treated, not 
so much as one containing new forms, but as one which, from the very conditions 
under which it would be brought together, must offer an admirable opportunity for 
the study of variation. I congratulate myself, at any rate, that the collection of 
Kchinoderms fell into my hands, for I tremble to think how many species some 
other workers would have made, as a result of the bewildering amount of variation 
exhibited by some of the forms, 
