Miscellaneous. 79 



between the chambers (' Introd. Foram.' p. 182) ; and we 

 may add tliat Glohigerina furnishes the intermediate and 

 connecting link between the areolated structure oi Dactylopora 

 and the finely prismatic tissue of the Nummuline shell. 



In some cases, especially in the thin rod-like form of Ovu- 

 lites, external pores cease to exist, the apertures being en- 

 croached on and closed by delicate shell-matter ; and only 

 minute irregular wrinkles remain on the surface. In a short, 

 thick, biclavate (dumb-bell) Ovulite the relatively large cham- 

 berlets are closed with translucent films. Some subcylindrical 

 OvuUtes approach very closely in character to the smallest 

 pipe-like Dactylojjorce {Gyroporellal ^ Gilmbel) with vesi- 

 cular wall-chambers. 



With their large internal mass of sarcode and its numerous 

 simple or complex lateral processes, the allied groups of Aci- 

 cularia^ OvuUtes^ and Dactylopora [HaploporeUa^ Dactyporella^ 

 &c., Giimbel*) may be regarded as opaque calcareous frame- 

 works in sarcode, just as the Polycystines have a siliceous 

 skeleton in their sarcodic mass. The Dactyloporidce are thus 

 clearly distinguishable from the Miliolidas and other porcella- 

 neous Foraminifera, as indicated by one of us in the ' Monthly 

 Microscop. Journ.' for February 1876, pp. %b^ 89. 



May 25, 1877, 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Zoology of the ' Challenger ' Expedition. 



To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 



As, in a letter upon this subject in the number of the 'Annals and 

 Magazine of Natural History ' for May last, Dr. Martin Duncan, 

 writing as President of the Geological Society, has stated that he 

 speaks " at the instance of a very considerable number of Members 

 of learned Societies," we the undersigned wish to state that we do 

 not agree in the strictures passed by Dr. Duncan upon the manner 

 in which Sir C. Wyville Thomson has distributed the specimens 

 collected by the ' Challenger ' Expedition for description. 



So far as we have had an opportunity of judging, we are perfectly 

 satisfied that Sir C. Wyville Thomson, in the arrangements which 

 he has made as regards these collections, has acted consistently with 

 the best interests of science. 



It was, in our opinion, Sir C. Wyville Thomson's duty to secure 

 the aid of the most competent naturalists without regard to their 

 nationality ; and, even if it were proper that national jealousies 

 should be imported into science. Sir C. Wyville Thomson can hardly 



* Abhandl. k. bnyer. Akad. Wiss. 1872. 



