Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded by the Late Captain Owen Stanley During the Years 1846-50 (Volume 1); To Which Is Added Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852. Excerpt: ... APPENDIX. 343 No. IV. An Account Of The Polyzoa, And Sertularian ZooPhytes, collected in the Voyage of the Rattlesnake, on the Coasts of Australia and the Louisiade Archipelago, &c. By George Busk, F.R.S. This collection includes about eighty-five species, distributed in twenty-nine genera, and may perhaps be regarded as the largest and most interesting of the kind ever brought to this country. When it is stated that seventy-eight of the species are new or undescribed, the number will appear extraordinarily great, but when the comparatively neglected state of exotic Zoophytology is considered the wonder will be much diminished, and still further, as it may safely be assumed, that many of the species here given as new have been previously noticed, though so insufficiently described, as in the absence of figures not to admit of correct identification. Making, however, a considerable deduction on this account, the remainder will still stamp the present collection with extreme value. As an instance, may be cited the genus Catenicella, of which this collection affords about fifteen species, and of which certainly not more than three have been previously noticed in any way, and of these no sufficient descriptions or figures are extant by which even that small number could be identified. The explanation of this is perhaps to be sought in the circumstance that the species of Catenicella are deep sea forms, and only to be obtained by dredging in deep water--very few being apparently found on the shores. 344 APPENDIX. Though the number of new or supposed new species is so great, the number of new genera is comparatively small, not amounting to more than four. It has, however, been found necessary considerably to modify the characters of several other established ge...