206 $. VII. DELINEATIONS OF 



1. THE SPECIFIC CHARACTER (Differentia spe- 

 cifica] contains the marks that distinguish the 

 species, to which they belong, from all others in 

 the same genus. 



Specific characters of reliquia should be so con- 

 structed as to distinguish permanent from tempo- 

 rary species f ; and those, whose originals are 

 known, from those whose originals have not, as 

 yet, been discovered^, e. g. 



1. HELMINTHOLITHUS Eclri-N 



nites gpatangites ovalisf Pel lellt s P e f s - 



. > I he original unknown 

 compressus, ambulacrist fa , 



quinis, areis punctatis. s 



and of course, as reliquia, both come under the genus Conchy, 

 liolithus By retaining the original generic names in the formation 

 of the fossil trivial ones, as CONCH. Buccini decussati CONCH. 

 Muriels decussati, the denominations become distinct and appro- 

 priate, without any alteration in the term under which the shells 

 are recognized by the conchologist. 



f In detached descriptions it will be found convenient to use 

 S. p. or S. t. afler the specific distinction, to mark the species as 

 a permanent or temporary one The difference in the construc- 

 tion of the essential characters may not always strike the eye. 



tf This may be done, as in the examples above given, by vary- 

 ing the termination of the word which marks the family or divi- 

 sion of the species ites always being used by us to denote, that 

 the species is known only in the fossil state In temporary specie* 

 the word distinguishing the part, on which the temporary species 

 is founded, should precede that which points outulie order or 

 genus of the original. 



