On Microzoa, &c. By C. D. Sherborn & F. Chapman. 741 



The Fokaminifeea. 



The series of Forarninifera here to be described does not pretend 

 to be a complete collection of all the forms known to occur in the 

 London Clay, but it has added largely to those varieties already 

 noted. At the end of the paper we give a complete list of all 

 forms reported by authors to have been found in the London Clay, 

 and it is our intention to collect further material for a more 

 comprehensive study of this group. We have been favoured with 

 an inspection of some of the forms collected by Messrs. Jones and 

 Parker, from Copenhagen Fields, and have been kindly offered 

 the loan of the Sheppey forms by Mr. Shrubsole ; but we have 

 decided to postpone our further examination of this facies, so 

 many localities remaining as yet untouched. 



In dealing with these forms we have kept in view the bio- 

 logical nature of the animal constructing the tests ; and guided by 

 the researches of Williamson, Carpenter, Parker, Jones, Brady, and 

 others, our studies confirm the generally adopted opinion, that in 

 many cases the most intimate links can be traced between apparently 

 widely different forms, and that external sculpture, although of 

 classificatory value, has not the same biological importance. The 

 passage may be completely followed from a smooth shell through 

 every degree of ornamentation, as dots, tubercles, and spines, whether 

 scattered or arranged in longitudinal lines, into the most perfectly 

 ribbed forms, either broken up or continuous, especially in the 

 Nodosarinw. Hence we quite agree in the opinion that, except 

 in rare cases, the word " species " should stand " variety," and that 

 many genera even become of doubtful value. We retain these 

 binomial appellations merely for convenience. It was our in- 

 tention, when first preparing this paper, to endeavour to group 

 together under type-forms the principal figured individuals which 

 from their slight variations have received specific names ; but this 

 has been done carefully by A. Goes in his paper " On the Ileticu- 

 larian Khizopoda of the Caribbean Sea," * and it is unnecessary for 

 us to repeat the attempt, more especially since his paper is printed 

 in English. As a careful and painstaking endeavour to unravel 

 the multitude of varietal forms elevated to the doubtful rank of 

 " species," we gratefully acknowledge the assistance we have derived 

 from this book and, though we do not agree with the author at all 

 points, we strongly advise students of this difficult group of 

 animals to give his book careful attention. 



As the most convenient method of dealing with descriptions of 



* Kongl. Svonska Vet.-Akad. Handl., x. (18S2). 



