On the Systematic Position of the Pronghorn. 401 
étroite, et de la il s’étend sans aucune interruption jusqu’aux 2 ou 
les 3 de la longueur totale. Les polypes placés sur Pextrémité 
de Paxis sont les plus petits de tous (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, 
p. 663, and 1864, t. 22. fig. 2).” This misunderstanding of the 
passage quoted by Dr. Gray tends more than ever to confuse our 
ideas on the subject, whether we consider Hyalonema a coral, 
a zoanthoid polype, or a sponge. M. Barboza du Bocage cer- 
tainly does not mean in the passage to infer that the thin ‘end of 
the column covered with protuberances was the basal end, and 
was accordingly originally immersed in the basal spongious 
mass. 
Dr. Gray has been pleased to say of my recently published 
Monograph of the British Sponges, “But all the descriptions 
of this work are so indistinct and crowded with technicalities 
peculiar to the author, that they are very difficult to understand, 
and render a new examination of the species and a new work on 
the subject requisite.’ I regret that I cannot furnish the 
learned author with any means of comprehending my descrip- 
tions except those contained in my volumes; but it is consola- 
tory to know that there are other naturalists who can do 80. 
No one has advocated the necessity of every newly discovered 
animal having a definite name more strongly than Dr. Gray ; 
but that which is applicable to the whole animal does not, in 
his opinion, seem equally so to its parts. On tlis question I 
must beg leave to differ from him. I found a great portion of 
the British Sponges were new to our I’auna, and nearly all of 
their parts without names by which to designate and describe 
them. I was therefore compelled to name and describe both 
the component parts and the species; and whether I have or 
have not succeeded in employing suitable designations, I can 
assure the author of the paper that I should hail the accom- 
plishment of a similar work to mine, exhibiting a greater 
amount of talent and research, with unfeigned pleasure, for the 
sake of the advancement of a branch of natural history the 
study of which has afforded me many years of pleasure and 
satisfaction. 
LI.—On the Systematic Position of the Pronghorn (Antilocapra 
americana). By P. L. Scrater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., Secre- 
tary to the Zoological Society of London*. 
Tue author stated that his chief object in the present commu- 
nication was to bring into more prominent notice a very impor- 
* Abstract of a paper read before the British Association, Section D., 
Aug. 23, 1866. Communicated by the Author. 
