7. Anthozoa (incl. Hydrocorallia). B. Alcyonaria. 31 



merism in such disc-like genera as Hadrophyllum and Miorocydus is questioned 

 and the presence of 6 septa in the earliest recognisable stages of Lophophyttum 

 proliferum may be explained as due to acceleration, that is, an early development 

 of the first pair of secondary septa [s. Bericht f. 1906 Coel. p 31 Gordon]. 

 The only species for which primary hexamerism has not been disproved are 

 Devonian and Carboniferous, that is, very late in the geological distribution of 

 the Rugosa. The origin of the third pair of septa, as described by Carruthers 

 (1906), shows them to be really the first pair of secondary septa; the cardinal 

 side is ventral (with Duerden and contrary to Carruthers). 



C. Gordon maintains that the resemblance to the Zoanthese of certain Rugose 

 coral tips is only an apparent likeness, that the important deductions regarding 

 the origin of the cardinal fossula are largely based upon this supposed resem- 

 blance, that the number of primary septa is four, and that the quadrants 

 in which occur the 2 septa, regarded by Duerden as primary and by Gordon 

 as secondary, show evidence of acceleration. In a young specimen of Strepte- 

 lasma profundum the 4 primary septa extend further down than the secondary 

 ones and hence the former have appeared before the latter. The primitive 

 Rugosa appear to possess a tetrameral arrangement and bilateral symmetry 

 upon which, by acceleration or otherwise, has been impressed a pseud-hexameral 

 arrangement and a biradial symmetry. 



Voeltzkow liefert einen kurzen Bericht tiber seine Reisen zur Erforschung der 

 Korallenriffe [s. Bericht f. 1905 Coel. p 6, f. 1906 Coel. p 7, 8]. Im westlichen 

 Indischen Ocean hat er nirgend ein sich aus sich selbst in grofierer Starke 

 aufbauendes lebendes Riff gefunden, wohl aber Korallengarten, die ein Riff 

 vorspiegeln konnen und keine nahere Beziehung zu ihrem Sockel haben. Ferner 

 nirgend die Bildung einer Insel auf einem wachsenden Riffe ; vielrnehr sind 

 alle solche Inseln nur die Reste eines trocken gelegten viel grofieren Rifles. 

 Dabei muss der Riickzug des Meeres vor relativ kurzer Zeit erfolgt sein. Zu 

 eiiier wesentlichen Erhohung von Banken durch die Thatigkeit von Korallen 

 uud anderen Kalkbildnern kommt es gegenwartig im offenen Meere wohl uicht 

 mehr, sondern anscheinend tiberwiegt sogar die Losungsenergie des Meeres 

 iiber die Ablagerung von Kalkcarbonat durch die Meeresbewohner, wahrend in 

 fruheren Epochen das Umgekehrte stattfand. [Mayer.] 



B. Alcyonaria. 



See Benham( 2 , 3 ), Gravier( 9 ), Hickson( 2 - 1 ), Kiikenthal( 3 ), Roule( 3 ), Simpson. 



Motz-Kossowska & FagG describe the anatomy of Fascicularia edwardsi. The 

 groups of polyps consist of a rigid basilar part formed by coalescence of 

 polyps, immediately above which the polyps become free but they may be re- 

 tracted into the basilar part. New polyps are formed from evaginations of 

 those already existing, these evaginations soon become obliterated and then the 

 polyps of a group communicate only by means of the basal stolon. There is 

 scarcely any coenen chyme, and endoderrnic canals are present only in the stolon. 

 In Paralcyonium ekgans the groups of polyps consist of a rigid basilar part 

 prolonged into a common trunk formed by coalescence of the primary polyps, 

 these latter separate at different levels according to their age and bear, on 

 their free portions, the secondary polyps (there are no such secondary polyps 

 in Fasc.). Buds are produced on evaginations of the existing polyps, these 

 evaginations are represented in the adult by small apertures (which become 

 obliterated only very late) by means of which the polyps communicate with 

 each other. In the oldest colony examined the initial polyp was found to have 



