A. Crane—Classification of the Brachiopoda. 319 
originated from the Atremata by way of the Kutorginidae, “ one of 
the first steps from the inarticulata towards the articulate forms of 
which Orthis can no longer be considered as the prototype, as Hall 
has recently shown that no true Orthis exists in the primordial 
fauna.” 
Within the compass of eight and twenty pages Mr. Schuchert has 
produced a valuable epitome of the life-history of this extensive 
group of ancient and persistent organisms, a difficult and laborious 
task. He gives a plate (V.) showing the apparent genesis of the 
forty-seven families and their geological distribution and a tabular 
view of the geological range of the two hundred and seventy-seven 
genera entitled to rank as such in his opinion. Concise explanatory 
notes add to the value and comprehensibility of the associated 
textual classification. This combines some of the leading ideas of 
Von Buch, Eugéne Deslongchamps, James Hall, Beecher, Gray, 
Dall, Waagen and Neumayr with original additions as regards sub- 
orders, new family and sub-family groups. 
Thus, he divides the order PRorremata into two new sub-orders: 
1. Trunnacea, derived from trulla a scoop, defines the spoon-shaped 
plate, or spondylium of Hall, which covers the delthyrium in the 
families Kutorginide, Clitambonitide, Pentameride and Porambonitide.. 
2. Tuecacna, from theca a cover, for those forms in which the spondy- 
lium is absent and the apical three-cornered fissure or delthyrium is 
covered in the ventral valve by a single plate—the true deltidium. 
This includes the families Billingsellide, Strophomenide, Thecidide, 
Productide, and Orthide, with allied sub-family groups also as 
emended. 38. Rosrracna, a sub-order of TELorremata is restricted 
to forms devoid of spondylium “or any calcareous brachial supports, 
other than freely terminating crura.” It therefore includes the 
families Rhynchonellide (Gray) and Hichwaldiide, n.f. (Schuchert). 
The following nine new families in all are added: Paterinide, 
Lingulellide, Lingulasmatide, Trematide, Acrotretide, Kutorginide, 
Clitambonitide, Billingsellide, and Hichwaldiide. Some new sub- 
families are also proposed, and others well-known, raised to the 
rank of family groups, increase the total to forty-seven in number! 
In applying the law of morphogenesis, first defined by Professor 
Hyatt, to the Brachiopoda, Dr. Beecher adopted much of Hyatt’s 
nomenclature. Mr. Schuchert follows suit, although the etymo- 
logical deficiencies of many of the terms such as nepionic, ephebolic, 
clinatologic, etc., have been freely criticised by Messrs. 8. S. 
Buckman and F. A. Bather in a recent communication to the 
Zoologischen Anzeiger (No. 405 and 406, Nov. 1892). As the 
application of the laws of growth, or the science of Auxology, as 
Buckman and Bather have happily termed it, is rapidly coming 
into general use and is likely to develop, it seems a matter of 
regret that American and European biologists cannot define a set 
of terms for common use not susceptible of modification and variation 
by etymological purists of the future. Hither the invalidity of 
recent criticisms should be demonstrated, or the modifications 
proposed adopted as tending to promote uniformity of nomenclature, 
