108 J. Hall on a question of Priority. 
In my letter to Mr. Selwyn, of the 10th of April, 1871, 
alluding to my work, I said, “ The question of the Linguloid 
shells, OBoLUS and TRIMERELLA, was one requiring early 
determination ;” and it was for this reason that I had desired to 
see the Canadian forms. I was certainly under the impression 
that I had previously given Mr. Selwyn full information of 
what I proposed to do; but if otherwise, this letter of the 10th 
of Apnl was sufficient; and if after that no pamphlet was 
received, it seems a little remarkable that Mr. Billings should 
wait till the 30th of January following before making any fur- 
ther inquiries about it. 
On the 23d of February, 1872, during my absence from 
Albany, a letter was received from Mr. Davidson, of date Feb- 
ruary 8th, in which my attention was called for the first time 
any “unfortunate collision,” nor of any cause for the succes- 
sion of statements in the last page and a half of Mr. Billings’ 
article against me, that “it is not my fault that this difficulty 
has arisen,” ete. 
It has unfortunately happened, in nearly all cases where I 
have proposed new genera during the last ten or fifteen years, 
that I have, according to Mr. Billings’ expressed opinions, 
infringed upon his rights, or violated some rule of scientific 
rocedure.* 
I fully admit that the party at fault in this or any other case 
should be the sufferer. Mr, Billings has inaugurated and thus 
far managed both sides of what he denominates “this controv- 
ersy,” with his usual tact and adroitness. I have said nothing, 
while he has published I believe three or four articles on the 
subject. I have entered into no controversy, and hope to be 
saved from one. It will not distress me if my name of RHYNO- 
BOLUS should not be adopted. Unquestionably the pamphlet 
should have been reprinted at once after the fire; but im such @ 
condition of things as then existed, every one is naturally ab- 
sorbed in what appears to be the present duty, and may easily for- 
* For example, TRIPLESIA, RENSSELAERIA, MERISTELLA, STROPHODONTA, etc. 
