THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY 



[SECOND SERIES.] 

 No. 30. JUNE 1850. 



XXXVII. — Notes on an Examination of Lamarck's species of 

 Fossil Terebratulse *. By Thomas Davidson, Esq., Member 

 of the Geol. Soc. of France. Illustrated by figures of all the 

 species drawn from the original specimens. 



The natural history of the invertebrated animals by the cele- 

 brated Chevalier de Lamarck is a work so generally consulted by 

 all naturalists that it is unnecessary here to allude to its scientific 

 value. Some parts however are not so clear as might be desired, 

 owing to the state of science at that period, and especially from 

 the want of figures illustrative of the text, so necessary an ap- 

 pendix to all specific descriptions. 



The fossil Terebratulce especially required some investigation, 

 and on the suggestion of Mr. Morris, who had previously ex- 

 amined the Lamarckian species, and other palaeontologists, I 

 determined to visit Paris in February last, and endeavour to ob- 

 tain the loan of all the typical specimens described in Lamarck's 

 volume and preserved in the collections of that metropolis. 



Lamarck having had the misfortune of losing his sight, with- 

 out the remotest hope of regaining it, during the publication of 

 the sixth volume of his l Animaux sans Vertebres f/ M. Valen- 

 ciennes, at his suggestion, took upon himself the determination 

 of the species of the genus Terebratula that he was able to see in 

 the Paris collections : so that it is in reality to M. Valenciennes 

 that science is indebted for the publication of that part of the 

 work relating to the Brachiopoda. On expressing to Prof. Milne- 

 Edwards and Valenciennes my wish to investigate those speci- 

 mens of Lamarck's in the museum of the Garden of Plants, they 

 at once in the most liberal manner (after having obtained the 

 consent of the Executive Council of that establishment) lent me 

 the specimens to bring to England in order that I might more 

 carefully examine and illustrate them, and I here publicly express 



* Animaux sans Vertebres, vi. Feb. and June 1815). f R>> p. 244. 

 Ann. $ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. v. 28 



