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XXVI. Catalogue of Animals lelonglng to the Class Vermes ^ 

 found on the Coasts of Scotland. By Robert Jameson^ 

 F. R. S. F.J. S. Edinl. F.L. S. Loud. Honorary Mem- 

 ber of the Royal Irish Academy, (5#c.* 



J- HE animals belonging to the class vermes, although 

 holding so low a rank in the animal kingdom, are in many 

 respects deserving of our particular attention; First, they 

 point out to us the intimate connection that exists between 

 the animal and vegetable kingdorris. It has been supposed 

 by many naturalists, that the most perfect plants, and the 

 least perfect animals, form the link by which these two great 

 classes of organic beings are connected together. On a nearer 

 examination, hov/ever, we discover that their greatest ap- 

 proximation is in the lowest members of each class j in the 

 vermes of the one, and the cryptogamia of the other. 



2dly, By tracing the difference of their structure, from 

 the most simple of all the monas to the more complicated 

 tnoUusca-, many curious anatomical discoveries have been 

 made ; and there is reason for believing that the study of 

 their ceconomy will throw light on philosophy. 



3dly, By an extensive and critical acquaintance with the 

 animals of this class, the geognost will he enabled to deter- 

 mine many of the petrifactions he meets with ; and this know- 

 ledge will also, when other data fail, enable him to determine 

 with certainty to what formation the rocks that contain 

 these petrifactions belong. 



On the natural history of the British vermes little has 

 been written. Pennant's outline contained in his British 

 Zoology, and Ellis's excellent treatise on Corallines, are al- 

 most the only works that treat professedly on this subject. 

 Dr. Sha\v, by mcails of his interesting work The Natu- 

 ralist's Miscellany, has contributed much in exciting a taste 

 for such Inquiries; and it is to be hoped that the concluding 

 volumes of his great work on zoology will be rich in infor- 

 mation respecting this interesting class of animals. The che- 

 mical analysis of several has been very ably executed by 

 Mr. Hatchet, as detailed in his masterly memoirs in the 

 London Transactions. 



In the catalogue I now communicate I have only men- 

 tioned those species that are rather rare on our coasts. 



* Communicated by rhe Author. 



Vol. XVI. No. 62. L Mol- 



