PROVISIONAL PREFACE. xiii 



Carpenter, M.A. ; on the Gephyrea by Professor Ray Lankester, F.R.S. ; on 

 the Ch^tognatha by Dr Oscar Hertwig ; on the MYZOSTOiiiDiE by Dr Ludwig 

 Graff; on the Mollusca Gastropoda and Lamellibeanchiata by the Rev. R. 

 Boog Watson, F.L.S. ; on the C^ecid^ by the Marquis de Folin ; on certain 

 points in the Anatomy of Marsupials by Dr Cunningham, F.R.S.E. ; and on 

 Marine Mammals and on Human Crania by Professor Turner, F.R.S., are in 

 more or less advanced stages of preparation. 



Tlie prejjaration of two important volumes on the nature of the recent 

 deposits on the bed of the ocean, and their bearing upon Geology and 

 Petrology, has been undertaken by Mr John Murray, F.R.S.E. and the Rev. 

 A. Renard, S.J. ; and a volume on the general Chemical and Physical results 

 will probably complete the series. A few large classes of marine animals are 

 still unappropriated, but the staff have at present on hand about as much as 

 they can well encounter, and I hope that some of the naturalists who are now 

 occupied with other groups may find time, when they have finished these, 

 to take up any which may still remain. 



From the preceding lists of naturalists who have kindly undertaken to 

 work up the different groups, it will be obvious that my function is simply 

 that of Editor, that I cannot presume to interfere in any way with the 

 matter of the various Memoirs, and that I am responsible only for those 

 contributions to the Report which bear my own signature. I also consider 

 myself entirely free to hold and to express an independent opinion on any 

 question upon distribution or other general physical or biological conditions. 

 I have issued to the naturalists engaged in the work a sample Memoir, showing 

 the general form which, as Editor, I wish the book to assume, and all I can 

 undertake to do at the Office is to bring the series as nearly as possible into 

 uniformity as they pass through the press. 



