290 Mr. H. J. Carter on 



Families. Groups. 



f 1. Pluriformia. 



I 2. Plumohaliclioiidriria. 



1. Edyonida -^3. Miciocionina. 



I 4. Echinoclathrata. 



1^5. Baculifera. 



n ^ • 77- 7 I 6. Multiformia. 



2. Axmelhda j 7. Durissima. 



And here I would observe that this order is bj far the most 

 difficult of any that I have had to contend with ] not so much 

 probably in the first family, viz. the Ectyonida, as in the 

 second, viz. the Axinellida ; hence in both they are headed 

 with a group provisionally named, which has thus been 

 indefinitely given for the purpose of enabling the spongiolo- 

 gist to supply its place with a plurality of groups that of 

 course must vary in amount, name, and description as more 

 extended observation may dictate, which, judging from the 

 enormous number of species and varieties from all parts of the 

 world, represented by the dried and beach-specimens in the 

 collection of the British Museum, almost tempts one to 

 exclaim, '' Where is this to end ? " and as one species so often 

 resembles another in one or more points, to ask " What cha- 

 racter is there in one species which is not to be found in 

 another? " But probably similar observations were made at 

 the commencement of the study of conchology&c. ; still it seems 

 to me certain that, as in other branches of natural history, the 

 class, orders, and families may be restricted to a few simple 

 characters for leading to the groups and genera, but nothing but 

 a combination o/'c/mracters will lead the student to the species^ 

 which is the great thing after all, and those it is desirable, for 

 practical purposes, to limit as much as possible to what can be 

 seen with the commonest microscope, otherwise the distinc- 

 tions become one for the rich man only who has plenty of 

 leisure and can easily afford to purchase a fine instrument ; 

 which, of course, is also desirable j but then this cannot be 

 for the many, but for the scientific, or, as it may be termed, 

 esoteric few. Hence " equality " is as Utopian, as ^wequality 

 is absolutely necessary for progress in all human affairs. 

 Such knowledge can only come to the poor through the rich. 



The diagnosis of the order Echinonema, viz. : — " Possess- 

 ing a skeleton composed of horny fibre cored with proper 

 spicules internally and echinated with proper spicules exter- 

 nally. Form of spicules chiefly acuate," so far as the first 

 family, viz. the Ectyonida, goes, cannot be more practically 



