6 CANADIAN FOSSILS. 
Professor Nilsson first suggested that graptolites were Polypiaria, belong- 
ing to the family Ceratophyta. Dr. Beck of Copenhagen regarded them 
as belonging to the group Pennatulide, of which the Linnean Virgularia 
is the most nearly allied existing form. Sir Roderick Murchison has adopted 
this view of the relations of the graptolites, in his Silurian System.* 
General Portlock has fully recognized the graptolites as zoophytes, 
and has pointed out their analogy with Sertularia and Plumularia. 
The relations of graptolites with the Cephalopoda had already been 
fully disproved by M. Barrande (in the first chapter of his “ Graptolites 
de Bohéme’’), before the abundant materials for the refutation were dis- 
covered in the graptolites of the Quebec group ; and most naturalists were 
already agreed in referring these bodies to the class of Polypi, to which 
they doubtless belong. 
More recently, Mr. McCrady, of South Osea has published a paper 
on the ‘ Zoological Affinities of Graptolites,”’} in which he has endeavored 
to show the similarity of the graptolitic forms with the Echinoderm larva, 
as illustrated by Miiller. There is certainly much resemblance between 
the enlarged figures of that author, and some forms of graptolites in the 
shales of the Hudson River valley; while some of the figures with central 
discs have a more remote analogy with certain forms from the Quebec 
group. Some of the toothed rods of the Echinoderm larvee likewise bear 
a resemblance to the graptolites figured by Mr. Suess ;$ and there are still 
farther analogies pointed out by Mr. McCrady, which, however, may not 
be regarded as of equal value by the greater number of naturalists. 
For my own part, although admitting the similarity of form and of some 
of the characteristics which were very kindly pointed out to me by Mr. 
McCrady, long before his publication, I cannot recognize the analogy 
sought to be demonstrated. The establishment of the fact that these 
toothlets or serratures are the extensions of true cellules, each one having 
an independent aperture, and communicating with a common canal, should 
offer convincing argument against these bodies being other than polyp- 
bearing skeletons. But, in following the extensive series of forms now 
presented to us, we have much evidence to show that some of these were 
attached to the bed of the ocean, or to other bodies; while the greater 
proportion of the species and genera appear to have never been attached 
to the sea-bottom. 
It may not be easy to determine precisely the family to which these 
* Silurian System, page 694; and letter of Dr. Beck, pp. 695-6. 
+ “Remarks on the Zoological Affinities of the Graptolites, by John McCrady, made 
before the Eliot Society of Natural History of Charleston, S. C., at the meeting of July 
15, 1857.” [Extract from the Proceedings, vol. i.] 
t Naturwissenschaftliche Abhandlungen. Vierter Band. Tab. viii and ix. 
