Miscellaneous. 245 



young mau I was very intimate with him, and estimated his 

 labours, but hardly so much as I have been induced to do in later 

 years. Ho was one of the founders of the Botanic Garden at Hull, 

 where he then resided ; but he continued to cultivate plants when 

 ho resided at Little Chelsea, and at Church Lane, Old Chelsea ; for 

 he considered it desirable not only to study plants as they were 

 kept in an herbarium, but also to observe them in a living state, that 

 he might record their mode of growth. When we consider the 

 manner in which he separated the fleshy plants, the Saxifrages, and 

 the bulbous plants into groups, and especially regard the time in 

 which it was done, we are astonished at tho accuracy of his obser- 

 vations, which were so unlike the manner in which plants were then 

 studied ; and most of his groups are now acknowledged as genera 

 or sections of genera. It was the same with his work on British 

 Lepidoptera : there the various Linnean genera were divided into 

 natural groups, which ho fully characterized, all of which aro now 

 acknowledged as genera ; and he would have been quoted as the 

 author of those genera if he had given them generic names instead 

 of the English or Latin adjective names which he applied to them. 

 We must recollect thai this was all original work, published before 

 the writings of Cuvier, Latrcille, and other founders of the French 

 school (which was established during tho early part of the despotism 

 of the Great Xapoleon), whose labours my late predecessor, tutor, 

 and friend. Dr. Leach, first introduced to the knowledge of English 

 naturalists. 



On the Adult Form in the Genera Cypraea and RingicuLa, and in 

 certain Species of the Genus Astarte. By J. Gwyn Jefpkets, 

 F.R.S. 



Mr. Searles Wood, in the last Number of tho 'Annals' (p. 172), 

 iu\'ited communications on a question propounded by him, viz. : — " If 

 small specimens [of Cijproia europa;a and liingicula aurkulata'] in the 

 Crag, which have a thickened lip, aro not in many instances young 

 shells, what has become of the immature specimens ?" I venture to 

 suggest that young shells of both these species, having the usual 

 thin and imperfect lip, will surely be found after further search. I 

 have already given an explanation, in my work on British Concho- 

 logy (vol. ii. pp. 309 & 310, and vol. iv. pp. 402 & 403) as to the 

 front margin in Astarte and the outer lip in Cypra'a, with rcferenco 

 to the age and size of specimens. I lately dx'cdged in the North 

 Atlantic Rlngicula auricidata, Menard do la Groye (M. huccinea, 

 Brocchi), li. ventricosa, J. Sowerby, and li. acuta, Sandberger (the 

 last two species hitherto known as fossU only), all of which in their 

 immature state had a thin and imperfect lip. The j'oung of Cypnva 

 europiKi is the BidJa diaphana of Montagu. 



I may also remark that any young shells '' killed for food " would 

 not be necessarily " consumed " or destroyed ; so that I have no 

 doubt they will occur iii a fossil as well as in a recent state. 



25 Devonshire Place, Feb. 15, 1871. 



