Morphological Method and the Ancestry of Vertebrates

THERE has just reached me the Proceedings of the Linnean Society for October, containing the report of an interesting discussion upon the "Origin of Vertebrates" which took place at meetings of the society in January and February of this year. Apart altogether from statements as to matters of fact which seem to be open to challenge, this discussion appears to me to raise points in regard to the methods employed by the morphologist which are of practical importance to those interested in the science of morphology.