Documents of the Senate of the State of New York (Volume 16 ) (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. 1895. Excerpt: ... A HANDBOOK OF THE Genera of the North American Palaeozoic Bryozoa. WITH AN INTRODUCTION UPON THE STRUCTURE OF LIVING SPECIES. BY GEORGE B. SIMPSON. Albany, N. Y., January 1, 1895. James Hall, LL. D., State Geologist: Sir.--Herewith I beg to communicate for your report a paper which I have entitled "A Handbook of the Genera of the North American Palaeozoic Bryozoa," prefaced by some observations upon the structure of living species. This work is the direct outcome of the investigations made in preparation of Volume VI of the Palaeontology of New York (1887), and has been done by me as a member of the staff of the geological department. The collections made for use in that work, as well as your own private collection, and, through your intervention, those of the American Museum of Natural History of New York, have been freely accessible to my use, and I take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the favorable conditions under which my work has been done. Very respectfully yours, GEORGE B. SIMPSON. HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. It is scarcely more than one hundred years since naturalists gen erally recognized the fact that corals belong to the animal kingdom. Though in the year 1599 Ferante Imperato, a naturalist of Naples, in his work, "Histoire Naturelle," asserted that fact, he found 'few, if any, believers in his statement. In every reference that I have seen to this author he is referred to as an "Apothecary of Naples "--seemingly overlooking the fact that this man as a naturalist possessed knowledge nearly 150 years in advance of any other naturalist in regard to the Zoophytes. To him should be given the honor which is generally accorded to men of the eighteenth century. This book was republished in 1672, but even then attracted little attention...