vu. 



EDITOR'S NOTE. 



It has afforded me a great amount of pleasure to edit 

 this volume at the request of Mrs. Rufford, and I have 

 endeavoured to arrange the material in as suitable a 

 manner as possible. 



For several years Mr. Rufford, and myself, collected 

 the local Hydromedusse and Polyzoa unknown to each 

 other ; and, while he studied the structure and economy of 

 the creatures and their habitations, with the result shown 

 in the following pages, my researches after a while were 

 directed to other branches of Natural History. 



Most of the illustrations represent the actual 

 specimens collected by Mr. Rufford, three only are from 

 my own collection; many more could have been added 

 had it been thought desirable. 



The objects depicted on Plates XII. -XVII. did not 



possess any other explanations than those which appear in 

 the illustrations. I have therefore ventured to add several 

 pages of descriptions, which, I trust will be useful. 



Throughout the volume except pp. 123-129 the large 

 type (Pica) represents Mr. Rufford' s writing, the smaller 

 type (Long Primer) that which has been added. 



Edward Gbnnold. 



