THE 



VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGEK, 



ZOOLOGY. 



REPORT on the Brachiopoda dredged by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 

 1873-1876. By Thomas Davidson, F.R.S., F.L.S., F.G.S., V.P.P.S., &c.i 



At tlie request of Professor Sir Wyville Thomson, F.E.S., I have undertaken the 

 examination, description, and illustration of the Brachiopoda dredged during the 

 Challenger Expedition. 



Very little seems to have been known with respect to recent Brachiopoda before the 

 middle of the last century; and even during the period extending from 1750 to 1800, 

 the information relating to the recent species was, with some excejDtions, meagre and 

 often unsatisfactory. 



A Brachiopod, until within the last fifty years, was considered a great rarity in all 

 collections, and no one could boast of possessing more than a very limited number of 

 species and specimens. Much uncertainty was also felt as to their nature, and the 

 position they should occupy among the Invertel^rata. They were generally supposed to 

 be referable to the genus Anoraia, and were very quaintly described by some of the earlier 

 naturalists ; several more serious and better informed observers aj)peared soon after 1753, 

 such as Linnaeus, Pennant, Miiller, Lamanon, PaUas, Poli, Grundler, and a few others, 

 who were able, in a measure, to prepare the way for the important discoveries reserved for 

 the more favoured naturalists of the present century. 



^ Since the publication of my sliort paper, On the Brachiopoda dredged l)y H.M.S. Challenger, in the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Royal Society, vol. xxvii. p. 428, May 1878, some few more specimens have been found among the 

 Mollusca obtained during that expedition, which has necessitated some little additions and alterations to the general 

 results (see Appendix). The Latm ending of some of the specific names has likewise been .slightly altered. I may 

 also mention that a complete series of the Brachiopoda described in this report numbeiing 34.5 specimens, has, at Sir 

 "Wyville's request, been selected by mj'seK, and handed over to the authorities of the British Museum by Sir "WyviUe 

 Thomson. I desire lilve'nise to tender to Sir Wj^ville Thomson my sincere thanks for the courteous manner with 

 which he has afforded me every assistance within his power, also to INIr John Murray, the Rev. R. Boog Watson, T>v 

 Gwyn Jeffreys, Mr Ball, M. Perrier, Dr Giinther, and others. 



(ZOOL. CHALL. EXP. — PABT I. — 1880.) A 1 



