4 Prof. W, King on Spirifer cuspidatus. 



the exceptional specimen from Millicent, on the contrary, ex- 

 hibited ^' not the smallest trace of perforations^ Moreover, by 

 " slicing across " the umbonal region of one of the specimens, 

 it was found to contain the canaliferous septum already 

 spoken of; but on making a similar slice in the " imperforate" 

 or exceptional specimen, " no vestige whatever" of the septum 

 was seen*. 



It cannot be too strongly impressed on the reader that, in 

 his examinations in 1844 and 1852, Dr. Carpenter was unable 

 to detect any perforations in Spirifer cuspidatus^ that in 

 January 1867, having gone over a number of " chips of speci- 

 mens from six different localities," including his " original 

 Bristol sections," which were submitted to a '^ careful exami- 

 nation," there was ^' not one " showing the " smallest trace of 

 perforations ;" whereas, in his late and fourth series of investi- 

 gations, all the new sections and chips from Irish specimens, 

 with only one exception, were found '^ unquestionably exhi- 

 biting patchy perforations." It must also be borne in mind 

 that Dr. Carpenter, noticing other ^^ two Millicent specimens," 

 examined by him on the last occasion, admits that he " might 

 not have ascertained the existence of perforations in them, had 

 not every lamella of the shell that could be scaled off been 

 carefully scrutinized" [loc, cit. p. 71). 



Now, considering the different results obtained, the paucity 

 of evidences of the kind really needed, and the difficulty in 

 ascertaining the true histological characters of certain speci- 

 mens, I feel con vinced that few of such ^' palaeontologists as pay 

 special attention to the Brachiopoda" w^ould have so hastily 

 adopted the conclusion with which Dr. Carpenter has identified 

 himself. 



It is to be regretted that neither Mr. Meek nor Dr. Carpenter 

 has published a representation of the perforations f. Mr. Meek 

 describes them as being " very small, scattering, and not ar- 

 ranged with the regularity seen in most types of Terebratu- 

 lidce^ or in Cyrtina^ Spirvferince^ &c.," — also '^ so distant that 

 fragments large enough to show clearly the punctures as seen 

 in the various types of Terebratulidae might be without a 



* ' Annals,' July 1867, pp. 69-72. 



t It appears, however, from a letter which I have received from Mr. 

 Meek, that he had an intention of publishing a paper, with illustrations, 

 on the subject ; but after Dr. Carpenter had acknowledged the accuracy 

 of his conclusions, he decided not to publish it. Mr. Meek has kindly 

 favoured me with two of his drawings, which have been of much service 

 to me in my present investigations. Considering the careful attention he 

 has paid to the perforations of S^nrifer ctispidatus^ and the opportunity he 

 appears to have of examining various allied species, I would strongly urge 

 him not to relinquish entirely his intention. 



