PREFACE

The value of palaeontology to the geologist depends on the evidences it affords of thecontinuity of species in time, which is the evidence of unbroken sequence of conditions ;and the continuity of the group, which is the evidence of sequence of design. The namesof species and genera are the words of the language by means of which such general factsand laws are expressed.—E. Eoebes.

Since the publication of the previous edition, numerous and importantworks have appeared, descriptive of British Fossils ; these have not onlyadded considerably to our knowledge of species, hut have corrected the syn-onymy of many of those previously cited. The Editor feels, however, that thevalue of this edition is much increased by the kind cooperation he has receivedfrom some members of the Geological Society , who have entirely revised andcorrected different sections of the work, thus rendering it more useful andtrustworthy to the Geologist than it otherwise would have been.

The Editor is indebted to Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton for a com-plete revision of the list of Fishes, as well as for the valuable table of theirclassification, prefixed to that section : and Professor Owen has kindly revisedthe list of Reptiles and Mammals.

Prof. E. Forbes has revised the Echinodermata ; in this section we areindebted to the labours of the same eminent naturalist for the addition ofj. the entire family of the Cystideee ; the genera and species having been de-! scribed from specimens collected by the Geological Survey, and the researchesof Messrs. Gray and Fletcher of Dudley.

The family of Trilobites have been thoroughly revised by Mr. J. W. Salter,to whom the Editor is also obliged for many other valuable suggestions andcorrections.

The researches of Mr. C. Darwin have considerably increased and improvedthe list of the Cirripedia.

The lists of the minute Entomostraca and Foraminifera have been entirelyprepared by Mr. T. R. Jones; the numerous additions to these portions ofthe Catalogue will at once testify to his zoological and bibliographical re-searches : in these sections the Editor must also acknowledge that muchassistance has been obtained from the microscopical investigations and collec-tions of Mr. W. Harris of Charing, and Mr. S. V. Wood.