Affinities of the Sponges

Abstract

MR. PARFITT seems to think that Mr. Carter has done Prof. Greene some injustice, because he has not referred to him as an original investigator of the Sponges, and he bases his opinion on the figures in Prof. Greene's “Manual of Protozoa,” urging that the only difference between the forms figured by Carter in 1871, and those by Greene in 1859, is “the want of the funnel-shaped mouth, which seemed to have escaped the observation of Prof. Greene, probably owing to want of definition in the instrument used in the investigations.” Allow me to point out that there is no pretence of originality in Prof. Greene's useful manual, that the figures alluded to are acknowledged (p. 85) to be copied from those illustrating the papers by Williamson and Dobie, and to express the opinion that much further research is necessary before the affinities of the sponges can be regarded as satisfactorily settled. When that day comes there is little doubt that a good deal of what is now guess work will require to be completely sponged out.