tvith Notes on Bicellaria Grandis. 41 



It is in this direction that Dr. Hincks' work is of real service ; 

 his subdivisions of the old genus Leprcdia are very useful, 

 and will readily commend themselves to all students. But, 

 with regard to the general system, observers must feel that 

 no classification of the Bryozoa can be useful that does not 

 take into consideration the many varieties of form found 

 living in Australian seas and fossil in Australian tertiaries. 



It may be surmised that Prof. Smitt's efforts to construct 

 a genealogical classification, and the stress he puts upon the 

 assumed necessity of assigning first place to the form of the 

 cell alone in the construction of families and genera, without 

 regard to mode of growth, have greatly influenced the 

 labours of Dr. Hincks ; and, although the latter declines to 

 accept in its entirety a proposition so revolutionary,* he 

 has so far followed it that he assigns a strictly secondary 

 place to mere zoarial habit ;+ and yet it must be maintained 

 that in most genera zoarial habit is of equal importance 

 with the character of the cell. 



I am constrained to offer these views, doing so with great 

 diffidence, because anxious to have the assistance of a 

 really good s}^stem in working out the classification of a very 

 large number of strange forms, obtained during several 

 years of constant observation confined to this particular 

 class. And after years of hopeful anticipation with regard 

 to the long expected work of Dr. Hincks, I must confess 

 great disappointment on finding it so little suited for the 

 arrangement of Australian species. It is to be hoped, how- 

 ever, that that talented writer may soon be induced to 

 publish a second edition of his otherwise admirable work; 

 and that it will contain a system of classification more in 

 accordance with the requirements of students in all parts of 

 the world. Mr. Busk's advanced years and fully occupied 

 time will probably preclude all hopes of extended labours in 

 this direction; otherwise it might be anticipated from his 

 long and intimate acquaintance with the subject, and the 

 broad views evinced in his dealings with its difficulties in 

 former years, that any alterations or elaboration of his old 

 system, from his own pen, would be cordially welcomed by 

 all observers. 



* Brit. Mar. Polyzoa, p. 180. 

 t Ibid, Introduction, p. cxxix. 



