THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 95 
Dr. Gray’s descriptions are almost entirely confined to the 
exterior; it seemed his especial aim to seize on those 
differences which are the most obvious, and ~would be the 
first to be noticed by the studeut when he begins to turn his 
attention to the examination of species; and in that department 
he was successful and lucid. It was perhaps my misfortune 
to differ from him in his view of the paramount value of 
superficial character, believing, as I do, that we should first 
associate those animals which agree in intimate, internal, and 
physiological characters, and only utilize differences of the 
exterior or extremities in the smaller groups as of genera or _ 
species. As an instance of the tendency | have mentioned, 
I believe that Dr. Gray to the last persisted in treating the 
marsupial animals as a section of the Fer, or beasts of prey, 
whilst others have considered these wonderful creatures as 
forming a series equally important with the placental series, 
and in many instances parallel therewith. In this view of 
the primary importance of the marsupial character I always 
concurred, aud hence it was my misfortune to differ from one 
whose knowledge and industry had placed him at the very 
head of the Science. It seems desirable to add that in the 
expression of this view as to the comparatively minor 
importance of the marsupial character, Dr. Gray is supported 
by the published works of six eminent zoologists enumerated 
by Mr. Waterhouse in his Natural History of “ Marsupialia, 
or Pouched Animals:” these are Storr, Illiger, Frederic 
Cuvier, Bennett, Swainson, and Ogilby. In the work to 
which I have alluded Mr. Waterhouse has expressed an 
opinion opposed to that of the eminent zoologists I have 
mentioned, but in exact accordance with my own. As a 
noteworthy exception to the propensity to avail himself of 
external characters in his descriptions, | am delighted to 
invite attention to the use which Dr. Gray made of the skull 
in some of his most valuable contributions to Zoology. I 
would particularly mention three very recent instances. The 
first appears in the ‘ Zoologist’ for December, 1872, and is 
intituled “ The Seals that permanently reside in or occasion- 
ally visit the British Islands” (S. 8. 3333). The second is 
in the same journal for January and continued in March, 1873, 
and intituled “ A Catalogue of the Whales and Dolphins inha- 
biting or incidentally visiting the seas surrounding the British 
