Excerpt from The Danish Ingolf-Expedition, Vol. 5: 6. Hydroida (Part I)

The investigation of the large Danish collections of hydroids from the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland, and the researches into the interesting material brought home from the Ingolf Expedition, have realised great results. In fact, several points of dispute as to the classification of northern species have been settled. In the first place, the Danish collections contain original specimens of some species which have been described as new several times after being originally recorded. In other cases, the large number of specimens tend to bridge the division between species which have hitherto been looked upon as good ones. It is, indeed, a matter of regret that deficiencies of diagnosis and inaccuracy of design have frequently put obstacles to the recognition of species previously recorded, and that the literature has, consequently, been encumbered with synonyms which we should rather have done without. This inconvenience, in fact, enforces the necessity of giving full and exhaustive accounts of every single species. The American investigators, indeed, on the pattern of Nutting have long tried to give brief diagnoses and drawings of all American species. But it must be observed that, because of the impressionist way of drawing, the illustrations are, as a general rule, somewhat wanting in accuracy, and to the brief diagnoses there is the objection that they are often too summary to give exhaustive account of the distinguishing features. On the whole such weak points as appear in the last works of Allman, have gone down to his epigones. Great difficulties, indeed, are in this way given to students of the geographical distribution of the hydroids. No doubt, more species than those which are at present pointed out by literature, are common to the European and the American seas. But in general it proves impossible to form, on the ground of the brief diagnoses, a well-founded opinion as to the virtual qualities of many species. As far as the European species are concerned, we are fortunate in possessing the classic work of Hin ck s, A History of the British Zoophytes. However, since the appearance of that work, plenty of fresh subjects have been added by descriptions of several species and genera which can hardly all be maintained, and publications have of late appeared in such abundance that. It proves difficult to students of this group of animals to find their way through the crowded matter.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.