INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1874. cxliii 



discovered by Professor Allman, who has recently published 

 a brief account of them. The animal, which was discovered 

 in the south of France, is attached to a sponge, and perme- 

 ates the spongy tissue. Although a hydrozoan, it is not a 

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

 of the hydrozoa. The chitinous tubes which permeate the 

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

 constitute a composite colony of zooids. In many respects 

 this new hydrozoan resembles the Campanularian zoophytes. 

 The name of Stephanocy-phus mirabilis has been given by the 

 Professor to this beautiful object. In no instance was this 

 zoophyte unaccompanied by the sponge. 



Professor Allman has been studying the development of 

 a hydroid, Myriothrela; while Kleinenberg, in an elaborate 

 discussion of the anatomy and development of the common 

 Hydra of fresh waters, makes it evident that this animal 

 passes through no proper larval stage ; but passes from the 

 condition in which it first becomes free to its adult state by 

 continuous growth without any true metamorphosis. It 

 seems that this animal, viz., Hydra viridis, contains grains 

 of chlorophyl. Professor Allman, in commenting on the 

 work of Kleinenberg, remarks that the germ -layers of the 

 Hydroids are " similar in their origin from the primitive em- 

 bryo layers to the equivalent tissues of the higher; for the 

 nervo-muscular tissue of the Hydroida has its foundation in 

 the ectoderm, which is equivalent to the united outer and 

 middle germ-lamella, while the digestive surface is plainly 

 formed by the cndoderm, or inner germ-lamella. Here, as in 

 the higher animals, the origin of the generative system is 

 still an open question ; and it is probable that it is not in ev- 

 ery case derived from one and the same lamella, for while 

 Kleinenberg is very certain of having traced it to the ecto- 

 derm in Hydra, my own researches are in favor of its endo- 

 dermal origin in other Hydroida." It will be seen from such 

 studies as these that our leading naturalists are not concern- 

 ing themselves with mere descriptions of new species and 

 systematic works. Enough of this preliminary work has been 

 accomplished to warrant more difficult and careful researches 

 on the histology, anatomy, and embryology, as well as mor- 

 phology of animals matters witli which, unfortunately, few 

 naturalists are found in this country able to busv themselves. 



