The original manuscript handlist included the following note by Professor J. H. Ashworth (1874-1936), a British marine zoologist who was Chair of Invertebrate Zoology and then Professor of Natural History at the University of Edinburgh:

Note on the Dalyell Collection by Professor J. H. Ashworth copied from the original in the possession of Mrs Ashworth. 27th Feb. 1936. Every Scott[ish] H[istor]ian should be familiar with Sir J.G.D.’s [John Graham Dalyell’s] R. & R.A. of S. [Rare and Remarkable Animals of Scotland] & The Powers of the Creator. By the great goodness of Sir J.G.D [John Graham Dalyell] & Lady D. [Dalyell] I have been fortunate enough to obtain for the University. A large proportion of the original plates – which in due course will I hope be available for reference.
Last Sat[urday] I have [brought] in all Sir John’s notebooks about 180 in no. [number]. I have 3 of these here. This is what we may call his daybook of sketches for the R & R.A [Rare and Remarkable Animals of Scotland] – The book in which he placed his drawings as he made them from time to time [&] arranged them so as to have all the hydroids together, all the [Idyzoa] together & so on. The most interesting and important of these were afterwards cut out for use in the published work. A number still remain - a very good drawing of the [greenish] var.[iant] of Act. Mes.