40 Coelenterata, 



of the occurrence and distribution (geographical and bathymetrical) of the 

 northern Pennatulids. He differs from most of his predecessors as to the 

 homology of the surfaces in Pennatulids, by regarding the more naked sur- 

 face in all pinnate and spicate forms as dorsal. The naked "underside" of 

 Renilla is however ventral (as was also shown by Wilson) and is not homo- 

 logous with the more naked surface of Pennatula. The author determines the 

 surfaces from a consideration of the primary individual of a colony which is 

 for some time a solitary polyp with typical octocorallian structure and is 

 bilaterally symmetrical with respect to a dorso-ventral plane passing through 

 the longer axis of the stomodseum. This plane bisects two median chambers, 

 only one of which contains retractor muscles ; this is on the same side as the 

 siphonoglyph and is therefore ventral. He observed indications of transverse 

 fission in many individuals of Pennatula prolifera n. sp., the upper end of 

 the rhachis and the uppermost pair of wings being separated from the rest of 

 the colony by a constriction which takes place just above the second pair of 

 wings. The stages of Virgularia mirdbilis which are described show that the 

 number of polyps in the wings gradually increases, that the new wings ad- 

 vance upwards and that changes take place at the apex of the colony as the 

 oldest wings and older parts of the colony atrophy and finally drop off. He 

 describes Pennatula 4 (1 n.), Virgularia 2 (1 n. nom.), Stylatula 1, Pavonaria 1, 

 Halipteris 1, Funiculina 1, Protoptilum 3 (1 n.), Distichoptilum 1, Anthop- 

 tilum 2, Kophobelemnon 1, Umbellula 2. 



Kukenthal shows that there are numerous specimens of Xenia fuscescens in 

 which there is no dimorphism there being only one kind of polyp with well 

 developed tentacles, and all transitions being present from the largest to the 

 smallest polyps. Even the small polyps about 1 mm long have tentacles with 

 pinnules. All such specimens are light coloured. In other somewhat darker 

 ones there is a difference in the structure of the polyps, many of the buds 

 already show clearly marked tentacles and traces of pinnules while other even 

 larger buds have no tentacles. In a very dark specimen the dimorphism is 

 still more clearly marked; many polyps of various sizes, from the largest to 

 the smallest , bear tentacles , but between these there are many more slender 

 individuals of moderately uniform length which have no tentacles. There is, 

 then, in X. fuse, a strong variability correlated with the increase in the number 

 of the spicules, to which also the darker colour is due. Apparently the pro- 

 duction of numerous spicules checks the development of tentacles and pin- 

 nules in the polyp-rudiments and thus many of the buds are arrested in the 

 stage of siphonozooids while the larger polyps develop slowly into autozooids. 

 While affirming the presence of dimorphism in the Xeniidse the author holds 

 that such dimorphic forms should not be placed in a separate genus, that is, 

 he merges Heteroxenia with X. Sympodium fulvum (Forsk.) is an Alcyo- 

 niid, which owing to the membranous expansion of its colonies has become 

 Cornularia-MkQ ; it is removed to Alcyomum. Ehrenberg's S. fuliginosum, 

 purpurascens, Anthelia glauca and strumosa are all merged into one species 

 Anth. fuliginosa. The author also describes Xenia 2, Symp. 1, Spongodes 7 

 (3 n.), and gives a key to the family Nephthyidse. 



Janower redescribes Solenocaulon grayi (using Studer's original specimen), 

 tubulosum Genth, tortuosum Gray, and S. (Leucoella) cervicorne (Gray). He 

 dissents from Hickson's view that the first 3 are merely varieties of one spe- 

 cies. The tubular character of S. is not of the nature of a gall produced by 

 a Crustacean [see Bericht for 1903 Coel. p 22 Hickson], because the 

 growths are too regular for galls and there is from the first a tendency to 



