viu A GENEKAL NOTICE OF THE BIOLOGICAL MEMOIRS. 



On parting with these reports, it may be appropriate to say a few words 

 on what has most struck me, in the prolonged and studious attention that I 

 have given to them. First of all there stands out the observant care of their 

 duties by Mr. Hodgson and Dr. Koettlitz as collectors, under conditions always of 

 discomfort, and often of danger. In the second place, one cannot but be impressed 

 with the varied attainments that Dr. Wilson brought to the tasks that he had to 

 perform ; of his memoirs it may be said that they breathe the true spirit of the 

 intelligent lover of animals, and they raised a number of interesting questions 

 which made another visit to the Antarctic regions a necessity for their solution. 

 Dr. Wilson is not only a naturalist, but he also possesses great power over brush and 

 pencil, and his drawings added considerably to the attractiveness of Volume 11. 

 I shall not enter at any greater length into Dr. Wilson's observations on Birds, 

 for any zoologist who has not yet read them should make himself acquainted with 

 them at once. The same is true of his report on Whales and Seals, the skins of 

 which were brought home in excellent condition. 



Morphological observations of considerable interest are to be found in the 

 memoirs on the embryos of seals, the development of the feathers of the penguins, 

 and the account of two new species of Ceplialodiscus, whose possession of a noto- 

 chord and gill slits indicates a possible affinity to Man that would not be 

 expected at first sight. 



Special attention should also be called to the two reports on Echinoderm 

 Larvae which open up several points of general interest. 



Turning to the more strictly systematic memoirs I have to note that two 

 new sub-families have been created, both for Calcareous Sponges. In the zoological 

 reports 23 new genera are proposed, but none among plants ; there appear to 

 lie 201 new species of animals, and 26 of plants. As to the validity of the 

 new species, specialists alone can judge, and even these, as we know, differ 

 among themselves. I may suggest that another collection should be treated, not 

 so much as one containing new forms, but as one which, from the very conditions 

 under which it would be brought together, must offer an admirable opportunity for 

 the study of variation. I congratulate myself, at any rate, that the collection of 

 Echinoderms fell into my hands, for I tremble to think how many species some 

 other workers would have made, as a result of the bewildering amount of variation 

 exhibited by some of the forms. 



