Nomenclature of the Foraminifera. 475 



Carpenter* and Williamson f foi' a concise account of the pro- 

 gress of research in relation to the Foraminifera, and for able 

 expositions of the principles which should guide the zoologist in 

 working out the nature and history of their specific groups. 



As one of our objects has been especially to determine the 

 rightful specific names, we have commenced with the Linnsean 

 names as given in the 12th edition of the ' Systema Naturae J/ 



In the 12th edition, fifteen reputed species are enumerated; 

 with one exception, they are grouped as " Nautili," coiled and 

 straight ; the other form is placed amongst the " Serpulse." All 

 of these species we can more or less easily recognize amongst 

 our known forms, either by the aid of the figures in older works 

 referred to, or by the description given. 



Here we must give more credit to the older naturalists and 

 the artists whom they employed than they have received at the 

 hands of some, for their engravings of the Foraminifera. The 

 style is always harsh ; but frequently, when the figures have 

 been carefully reproduced by tracings (the linear shadings being 

 replaced by pencil-tints) and the lateral ground-shadows omitted, 

 the specimens stand out as fair as in modern lithographs ; and 

 though sometimes deficient of a delicate characteristic, such as 

 that of the septal aperture, yet they are always true as to outline 

 and general features. 



We have been able to refer to all the original figures quoted 

 by Linnaeus and Gmelin. In the case of Spengler's figures, as 

 it happens that the first volume of the "Nye Samling" of the 

 Danish Transactions in the British Museum is without the 

 plates, and as vie, cannot find another copy of this work in 

 London, we should have been without the means of thus closely 

 completing the task we set ourselves, had not Prof.Forchhammer, 

 of Copenhagen, most kindly and promptly acceded to our request 

 that he w'ould favour us with a pencil-copy of Spengler^s figures. 

 Our thanks are especially due to this eminent Danish naturalist 

 for his courteous and energetic fulfilment of the request with 

 which we troubled him. We may mention that some of Spen- 

 gler^s figures, reduced in size, are engraved in Wood's ' Catalogue 

 of Shells,' pi. 13. 



The generic terms applicable to these Linnsean species having 

 been established at a much later date, by Defrance, Lamarck, 



* Philos. Transact. 1856, pp. 181 & 547. 



t Monograph Recent Foram. Gt. Britain, Ray Soc. 1858. 



X According to Mr. Williamson (Monograph, p. 101), " Previous editions 

 contain the Polythalamia (' Nautili ') enumerated by other writers; but in 

 the 9th, Linnaeus separates them into species; in the 10th he gives them 

 specific names ; and in the 12th he attaches to them the synonyms of other 

 authors." 



