An Introduction to Zoology. 103 



class as those which inhabit the cells of these curious receptacles ; for, 

 without a knowledge of the animals, to mistake the having learnt the figures 

 and names of their receptacles for the acquisition of a science, is as absurd 

 as it would be to form a collection of birds' nests, and then to imagine that 

 ornithology might be tlius mastered. It will be interesting to compare 

 these recent madrepores with the fossil species in our geological collection. 



2. The acaiephse medusas, or jelly fish, naturally form the next order to 

 the actiniae ; of these we have several very good specimens, preserved in 

 spirits.* 



3. Of the radiated echinodermata, including sea urchins, star fish, &c. 

 our collections are very fair. 



4. The naked ascidiae, thougli of a much higher organization, and closely 

 approximating to the acephalous moUusca of the bivalve shells, still often 

 present the same singular phaenomena of many individuals combined to- 

 gether in a common living mass, as we have before noticed in the actini- 

 form polypi of the corals. We shall hope hereafter to call our reader's 

 attention more particularly to these animals ; our museum at present pos- 

 sesses only some specimens of the simple species, viz. biphori, preserved 

 in spirits. 



5. In ascending the animal scale, we must next advert to the mollusca, 

 or soft inhabitants of bivalve and univalve shells. And here we have again 

 to notice, that many, attracted by their beauty, have formed large 

 collections of the dead shells, which were merely the covering of these 

 animals, and having learnt their forms and Linnean nomenclature, have 

 fondly fancied that they had gained real scientific knowledge. Every 

 English manual of Conchology must, we fear, be included in this 

 censure. But here again we are happy to refer our readers who wish to 

 acquire that knowledge of the physiology and organization of the animals, 

 which alone really deserves the name of natural science, to the recent 

 work of De Blainville, entitled, " Malacologie," where all the materials 

 will be found thrown together in a very luminous, interesting, and masterly 

 manner. We are happy to say, that our collection is not only very com- 

 plete as to the shells, containing about three thousand species j but that 

 we also possess, through the zeal and ability of our curator, among our 

 preparations in spirits, several very illustrative specimens of the molluscous 

 inhabitants, exhibiting especially those which are most characteristic of 

 their peculiar types of animal organization. 



(3. Of Entomology we possess the foundation of a good collection ; but 

 we have to regret that it is not as yet arranged. 



• In all these departments, our stores have been much increased by the kind libe- 

 rality of many captains of our port, who are in the habit of taking out dredging nets, 

 and collecting specimens for us, having been furnished with a table of directions for 

 the purpose by our curator, Mr. Stutchbury. Our accumulations from this source 

 are, we arc happy to statu, daily increasing. 



