4 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE 



described, which makes it highly probable that only a very small percentage 

 of the Australian species which occur in the places not visited by me have 

 been hitherto described. 



All the forms described by me are depicted in the plate, for the painting 

 of which I am indebted to my mother. 



This descriptive catalogue of the Australian species forms part of a series 

 of similar works published by the Trustees of the Australian Museum, and I 

 must here fulfil the pleasant duty of thanking them for the assistance afforded 

 to me by them in continuing my researches into the Australian Coelenterates. 

 In particular am I indebted to the Curator of the Australian Museum, Mr. 

 E. P. Ramsay, whose courtesy and judgment have made this work pleasant 

 and efficient. 



2. CLASSIFICATION OF THE CCELENTERATES. 



The Scyphomedusse represent a very highly developed group of Coelenterates. 

 The largest forms are found among them, and the structure of the various 

 organs of the adult is in some species more complicated than in any species 

 of the other groups. The relationship of the Scyphomedusre to the other 

 equivalent groups can be expressed in the following manner : 



The Ccelenterata form the lowest type of the Metazoa, and can be divided 

 into two sub-types, Porifera and Cuidaria, the former with and the latter 

 without collared entodermal cpithel cells in a part of the canal system. 



The Porifera comprise the single class Spongiaa ; the Cuidaria are naturally 

 divided into the Polypomedusa^, Polyps or their descendants, and Ctenaphorje 

 with external ribs of cilia, which are not descended from polypoid forms. 



The Polypomeduste again can be divided into two classes, Aphacellte and 

 Phacellatte, according to whether they possess no entodermal gastral filaments, 

 or whether such filaments are present. The second group comprises one class, 

 the Ctenaphorse. 



The Aphacellte are constituted of the two classes, Hydromedusre and 

 Syphonophora, whilst the Phacellata? comprise the Scyphomedusse and corals. 

 I here adopt Ray Lankester's name Scyphomedusse. 



This classification is shown in tabular form on the following page, and is 

 different from the systems commonly in use. In previous papers I have given 

 my reasons for altering the classification used by Haeckel, Hincks, and 

 others. 



