354 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



tions with the worms. The following is translated from his 

 work : " The first part of my article was already printed 

 when, through the kindness of a friend, I obtained for a few 

 days the new work of Mr. Morse on the 'Systematic Position 

 of the Brachiopoda,' sent from Berlin, from Mr. Martens. It 

 was while fresh from the impression produced on me by the 

 views of the American scientist that I wrote the last portion 

 of my general review, although I had myself previously ar- 

 rived at the conclusion, based upon the homologies of the 

 mussels and setae, that the brachiopods are nearly allied to 

 the chaetopod annelides." 



FOSSIL BIRDS FROM THE SHEPPEY CLAY. 



Professor Seeley has lately obtained from the London clay 

 the tibia of a large bird, which he considers closely allied to 

 the emu, showing also relations to the apteryx. It was found 

 in the Isle of Sheppey, in which so many valuable fossil verte- 

 brates have been obtained. 5 A, October, 1874, 437. 



THECOMEDUS^E, A NEW ORDER OF HYDROZOA. 



Professor Allman has lately described, under the name of 

 Thecomedusce, what he considers a new order of Hydrozoa, 

 based upon his Steplianocyphiis mirabilis, which is not a 

 hydroid, and can not be referred to any of the existing orders 

 of the Hydrozoa. The chitonous tubes which permeate the 

 sponge-tissue are united toward the base of the sponge, and 

 constitute a composite colony of zooids. The tubes are in- 

 creased in width toward their free extremity, and the poly- 

 pite inhabiting each puts forth a retractile crown of tentacles. 

 In many respects it resembles the Campanularian zoophytes. 

 In no instance was it unaccompanied by the sponge. 5 A, 

 October, 1874, 446. 



