2G6 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



of the Pitherella Rickmanii is due to my own casual negligence. The specimen 

 found by Mr. Jones was placed by him in my hands months before the Dulwich 

 drainage- works were begun; and I requested Mr. Jones to show it to Mr. 

 Etheridge and Professor Morris, which, I believe he did ; and by whom I also 

 believe the shell was called a Voluta. Not being satisfied with the vague kind 

 of opinion given to hirn, and the doubts expressed regarding it by those eminent 

 palaeontologists, Mr. Jones again left the specimen in my hands, and I placed 

 it aside for careful examination and study ; but numerous professional engage- 

 ments, as well as domestic matters, at that moment engrosing my thoughts, it 

 remained unattended to by me ; and was not, singular to say, recalled to my 

 mind, even when making the drawings (which I did myself) of Mr. Hickman's 

 specimens, both for this journal and for the Illustrated News. I am sure this 

 frank acknowledgement of my " sin of omission" will be a sufficient apology to 

 my young friend, Mr. Jones. The indefatigable perseverence of Mr. Bickrnan 

 in working out not onlv the fossils, but the stratigraphical details of that portion 

 of the drainage works well deserves the little honour that is attached to the triviale 

 nomen of a new shell, of which honour I am sure neither Mr. Jones nor myself 

 would wish to see him deprived, especially as Mr. Hickman's discovery was 

 perfectly distinct from Mr. Jones' : the former not having any knowledge, as 

 far as I know, of what the latter had done. 



Mr. Jones is an active geologist, willing to do good work, and our regret is 

 that he was not more encouraged to continue his researches by those naturalists 

 to whom he showed the original specimen. 



I am not clear that there may not be two species of this new genus, and I 

 have just sent two specimens handed me by Mr. Arthur Bott of Peckham, 

 to Mr. P. E. Edwards, for his inspection and decision. In this case it would be 

 fair Mr. Jones should be honoured with the specific denomination — a slight 

 glorification as rightly due in his case as in Mr. Hickman's — more than usually 

 can be said when personal names are so commonly attached as mere compliments 

 to naturalists who have never seen the objects named after them; or in com- 

 memoration of amateur-geologists, who have bought their specimens of working 

 collectors. — S. J. Mackie. 



New Species of Trilobites. — Sir, — I saw some weeks ago an advertise- 

 ment by Mr. Gregory, on the cover of The " Geologist," stating that he had 

 many specimens of Agnostis nemelosus, from the Lingula flags ; but I should 

 not have noticed the blundering use of a mere MS. name, given by me to a 

 friend for his collection, had I not seen (in p. 212 of your last number) an 

 article by Mr. Gregory, giving three or four other MS. names in the 

 same way — all of which are wrong ; and certainly they ought not to have been 

 published, whether right or wrong, for they have not yet appeared in any shape. 

 Lest these mischievous advertisements should be repeated, I must correct the 

 reference so far as to say that the species of Asaphus, and the shells referred 

 to, are from the " Lower Tremadoc slates" — not from the Lingula flags, in which 

 no true Asaphidse occur. 



I shall take this opportunity of advertising in a scientific sense, requesting 

 those gentlemen not personally known to me, who may be possessed of good 

 collections of trilobites, to communicate to me their willingness to lend 

 specimens for illustration in the Palaeontological Society's Transactions. 

 I hope I may take this means of becoming further acquainted" with collections 

 of this beautiful group of fossils. As only a few genera will be illustrated at 

 a time, no unreasonable detention of the specimens will occur. — J. W. Salter, 

 Geological Survey Office, Jermyn Street. 



