6o 



NATURE 



[May 17, 1894 



The extraordinarj" difficulties surrounding this genus 

 are illustrated by the fact that Mr. Bather himself 

 at one time described the arm of a Streptocrinus as 

 the stem oi Hcrpetocrinus (p. 176}. 



Controversial matters are treated in this paper with the 

 delicacy of the duellist rather than with the tactics of the 

 football-field ; and Mr. Bather may be congratulated on 

 the position he has gained among the exponents of 

 intricate research. We look forward with keen interest 

 to the completion of this handsome memoir. 



G. A. J. C. 



A DEDICATORY NUMBER OF THE 



QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPICAL 



SCIENCE. 



A SPECIAL complimentary number of The Quarterly 

 Journal of Microscopical Science has been issued, 

 dedicated by his colleagues to Prof. E. Ray Lankester, 

 F.R.S., in celebration of the completion of twenty-five 

 years of editorship. The Journal contains contributions 

 by Ur. E. Klein, F.R.S., Prof. A. G. Bourne, Mr. Adam 

 Sedgwick, F.R.S., Mr. W. C. Mcintosh, and Prof. 

 A. A. \V. Hubrecht, of Utrecht University. It is pre- 

 faced by the subjoined historical sketch, signed by Mr. 

 Sedgwick and Prof. Weldon. 



It is row five-and-lwenty years since Prof. Lnnkester first 

 undertook the task of editing the Qiinilerly Journal of Micro- 

 scofical Scioice, and by issuing the present numher his colleagues 

 desire to mark the occasion, and at the same time to take the 

 opportunity of ofTetirg to him their hearty congratulations on 

 the success which has attended this quarter of a century of effort 

 on his part. 



The Journal was founded In the year 1853 by the publisher, 

 Mr. S. Highley, and was edited by Ur. Edwin Lankester and 

 Mr. George Busk. In 1856 the pul)lisher's business was 

 transferred to Mr. John Churchill, with which firm it has 

 remained ever since. Up lo 186S the Journal published the 

 "Tiansaclions of the Royal Microscopical .Society of London," 

 but in 1869 the Society slarled its own publication, and a new 

 editorial arrangement of the Journal was made. Mr. George 

 Bubk retired, and Mr. Kay Lankester, who had lately taken his 

 degree at Oxford, joined his father in the editorship. 



Mr. Ray Lankester's connection with the y<7Hr«fl/ began in 

 1863 with ihe publication o( a paper on "Our Present Knowledge 

 of the Gregaiinnc," followed in 1864-5 byamcmoir, inthree parts, 

 on "The Anatomy ol the Earthworm." In 1865 he suggested 

 the publication ot a quarterly chronicle of the progress of his- 

 tology and microscopic investigation, and juined Mr. Busk in 

 its preparation. Curiou-'ly enough, this feature has been aban- 

 doned since 1872, whilst the Royal Microscopical Society has 

 taken the task in hand, and produces an admirable and exten- 

 sive record. 



In 1872 Ray Lankester's father ceased lo lake part in editing 

 the Journal, and was succeeded by Dr. J. Frank Payne. Lan- 

 kester and Payne adiled Mr. Thiselion Dyer (now Director of 

 Kcw Gardens), lo their editorial body in 1873, and he was suc- 

 ceeded in 1876 by Mr. Archer, of Dublin, ihe Secretary of the 

 Dublin Microscopical Club, and the author of so many interest- 

 ing discoveries among freshwater khizopoda. In 1877 Dr. 

 Payne retired, and Dr. Klein joined the editorial staff. 



In 1S78 a (urthcr change was made. Prof. Lankester became 

 iolc editor, with the co operation of Archer, Francis Balfour, 

 and E KUin. This arrangement has continued ever since, 

 with various changes in the list of those cooperating. Thiselton 

 Dyer returned for a few years as one of those giving his co- 

 operation ; and Moscley and Milncs Marshall have in turn 

 auiited in the conduct of Ihe Journal, and have published in 

 it many of their most important papers, inducmg their pupils to 

 adopt the lane mode of publication. 



The number of conlribulions which this energetic policy 

 attracted to the Journal loin made it necessary 10 enlarge it ; 

 and the term of Lankctlei's editorship has been marked by a 

 coniinuoas increaie in the amount of letterpress and in the 

 oamber and excellence of the plates. This has of necessity 

 been accompanic<l by a rise in price. The original price was 

 four shillings per number — the numbers being issued quarterly, 



NO, 1281, VOL. 50] 



At that time the volume consisted of some eight-and-twenty 

 demy octavo sheets and twenty plates, mostly also octavo. The 

 last volume contained thirty-six royal octavo sheets and forty- 

 two plates, many of which were ciloured, while the majority 

 were of quarto size. The change from demy to royal octavo 

 was effected at the commencement of 1S83, and in 1S90 the 

 strict quarterly publication of the Journal was abandoned, so 

 that more than four numbers could be issued in the year. 

 During the eleven years which have elapsed since 1S83, sixty- 

 one numbers, divided into fifteen volumes, have been issued ; 

 so that the increase in size and price has not only atVected the 

 magnitude of each number, but has been accompanied by an 

 increased rapidity of publication. 



Every reader will remember that Prof. Lankester's energy 

 has by no means been exhausted in merely editing the Journal, 

 for besides his many writings elsewhere, he h.is published more 

 th.in sixty memoirs in Ihe pages of \.\:\\s Journal alone ; and we 

 may, perhaps, be permitted to mention a few of the more pro- 

 minent of these— such as that on "The Development of the 

 Pond Snail " ( 1S74), which marks the starting point of his well- 

 known investigation of the development of MoUusca ; the 

 "Notes on Ihe Embryology and Classification of the -■Vnimal 

 Kinydom " (1877), which exercised so great an influence upon 

 the whole tendency of morphological speculation ; the de- 

 scriptions of Limnocodium (iSSo); ihe series of memoirs on 

 A pus and Limulus (1SS1-1884) and on Rhabdopleura (1884); 

 the first description of the atrio-coelomic funnels in .\mphioxus 

 (1875), and the subsequent memoir on ihe anatomy of the same 

 animal, together wilh ihe account, commenced in conjunction 

 with his pupil, Mr. Willey, and continue<l by Mr. Willey alone, 

 of Ihe later history of its rem.irkable larva. 



It would he useles5 to enumerate all the nalur-ilists who have 

 contributed to the Journal since Prof Lankesters successful 

 enterprise has made it the chief medium of publication for 

 Engliih morphological work ; but it is interesting to notice that 

 the conlribu'ors have constantly incluled foreign naturalists of 

 distinction, including E. van Beneden, Bovdilch, Cariiere, 

 Claparcde, Hollo, Giard, Hubrecht, lijima, Ischikawa, 

 Kingslcy, Mitsukuri, II. F. Osborn, Oudemans, Packard, 

 Patten, Pelseneer, Pouchet, Ranvier, Whitman, and others. 

 Some of these have taken the opportunity, by conlribu'ing to 

 the present number, of joining in the hearty congratulation on 

 his past achievement, and sincere good wishes fur the future, 

 which Prof. Lankester's associates now offer to their chief. 



NOTES. 



The following fifteen candidates were selected on Thursday 

 last by the Council of the Royal Society, to b.- recommended 

 for election into the Society :— Mr. \V. Bate-on, Mr. G. A. 

 Boulenger, Dr. J. R. Bradford, Mr. 11. L. Callendar, Prof. 

 \V. W. Cheyne, Mr. R. E. Froude, P'rof. M. J. M. Hill, Prof. 

 J. V. Jones, Mr. A. K. II. Love, Mr. R. Lydekker, Mr. F. C. 

 Penrose, Dr. D. II. Scjtt, Rev. F. J. Smith, Mr. J. \V. Swan, 

 and Mr. V. II. Velcy. We print their qualifications in another 

 i column. 



The " Ladies' Conversazione " of the Royal Society is an- 

 nounced for Wednesday, June 13. 



The death is announced of Dr. E. II. Vinen, at the age of 

 sixty-nine. He was a Fellow of the Linnean Society, and well 

 known among botanists and geologists. 



We regret to learn of Ihe following deaths among scientific 

 men abroad :— Dr. Louis von Usiar, Professor of Pharmacy 

 in Ihe University of Cio tingcn ; Dr. A. Schmidt, Professor 

 of Physiology in the University of Dorpal (or Jurieff); and 

 Prof. Thomas Morong, the well-known botanist. 



The Council of the British Medical Associ.ition are prepared 

 lo receive applications for grants in aid of researches for the 

 advancement of medicine and the allied sciences. .\ppIicationi 

 ' for sums lo be granted at the next annual meeting must be made 

 on or before June 15 in writing, addressed to the General 

 Secretary, at the office of the Association, 429, Strand, W.C. 

 They must include details of the precise characler and objectl 

 of the research which is proposed. Reports of work done by 



