on the Polyzoa. 89 



Dr. Jullien, in his paper on the " Costulide'es " and his 

 Cape-Horn Report, takes his stand on Smitt's fundamental 

 principle. He thus defines his position : — " La classification 

 que je me propose de suivre .... a pour base fondamentale 

 les caracteres tires de la zooecie isolee, depuis son origine 

 jusqu'a son extreme vieillesse " *. He proceeds to show that 

 most of the recent writers on the Polyzoa (amongst whom he 

 includes Busk, Smitt, Hineks, MacGillivray, and A. W. 

 Waters) have followed the evil example of d'Orbigny, whilst 

 giving their nominal adherence to the zocecial principle of 

 classification. They have adopted the principle, but have 

 been unable to recognize or weak enough to ignore its legiti- 

 mate consequences. As an illustration of their inconsistency 

 he refers to their treatment of the genera Cellepora and Rete- 

 pora, which they retain as originally founded on merely 

 zoarial characters. 



Now Busk, it may be remarked in passing, never pro- 

 fessed to deal in any serious way with the revision of the 

 classification, the importance of which he must nevertheless 

 have fully recognized. The descriptive portions of his 

 ' Challenger ' Report must have severely taxed his energies 

 at his advanced age, and before it was concluded he had to 

 bear the additional burthen of declining health. Tt is true he 

 adopted and introduced into his work certain portions of the 

 new classification ; but rather, it would seem, in deference to 

 the prevalent feeling in its favour than as the result of any 

 independent and comprehensive study of the questions at 

 issue. He would certainly have been the first to admit that 

 his ' Report ' does not embody a consistent system, and might 

 probably have added that circumstances did not admit of his 

 attempting to frame one. Its value lies in the extensive and 

 accurate diagnosis and delineation of specific forms which it 

 embodies, a kind of work which, in the present state of our 

 knowledge, is of peculiar and primary importance. 



As to the charge of inconsistency and want of thoroughness 

 in giving effect to the fundamental principle of the new 

 system on the part of those who introduced it, it may be 

 admitted at once that there is a certain amount of truth in it. 

 Under the peculiar conditions of the case I venture to think 

 that this may be easily explained and was but natural. 

 Indeed, it could hardly have happened otherwise. 



The early application of new principles which contravene 

 established modes of thought and strike at the root of vener- 

 able systems is apt to be somewhat hesitating and to savour 

 more or less of compromise. Much of the pioneer work in 

 * 'Mission du Cap Horn, Bryozoaires,' Introduction, p. 1. 



