Anthozoa (incl. Hydrocorallia). C. Hjdrocorallia. 29 



Ale. the filaments are very small and contain few gland cells, food material 

 was not seen in the ccelentera but zoochlorellse were very numerous. The 

 filaments of Sclerophytum are either small or absent, no food was seen in their 

 coelentera but zoochlorellse were extremely numerous; they are probably digested 

 by the zooids aiid may also contribute nutriment in a soluble form. The 

 siphon o glyph in these genera extends the whole length of the stomodseum 

 but is less pronounced in the autozooids of the dimorphic forms (Bare., Lob.). 

 The mesenterial musculature is better developed in these latter than in Scl., 

 it is feebly marked in the siphonozooids and is altogether absent in those of 

 Scl. For an account of the nature and function of the mesoglceal cell plexus 

 see Bericht f. 1902 Coel. p 27 and for 1904 Coel. p 39. 



Schneider concludes that in the Gorgonidse the axial epithelium of Koch is 

 not ectoderrnic but is the endoderm lining the axial cavity of the polyp. The 

 axis is not formed by this epithelium but by calicoblasts and spongioblasts 

 (which latter occur in corals as well as in sponges). There are transitions 

 between the Scleraxonia and Holaxonia so that this subdivision of the Gorgo- 

 nidse is not justified. 



Simpsonf 1 ) describes Agaricoides n. alcocki n., from the Indian Ocean, 401 fms. 

 The colony consists of (1) a stout densely spiculose stem containing a number 

 of coelentera whose adjacent walls are fused and (2) a terminal umbrella-shaped 

 portion bearing a number of closely set verrucas each with an introverted polyp 

 in its centre. The younger zooids are peripheral, their coelentera terminate 

 blindly below and are connected by means of canals with the large central 

 primary coelentera but these latter are not directly connected with each other 

 by canals. The tentacles are non-retractile, they are simply folded over the 

 wide oral disc. Foraminifera were found surrounded by the ectoderm cells of 

 the stoniodseum and enclosed within the pinnules of the tentacles. 



Thomson & Henderson (^ point out that the Ceylonese Alcyonarian fauna pro- 

 vides frequent illustrations of convergence, that, as regards genera, it is re- 

 markably cosmopolitan but differs markedly from that of the Maldives. They 

 describe Clavularia 1 n., Xenia 2, Bellonella 1 n., Nephthya 2 (1 n.), 1 n. var., 

 Eunephthya 1 n., Paraspongodes 1 n., Capnella 1 n., Spongodes 6 (2 n.), 3 n. var., 

 Paranephthya 1 u., Ghironephthya 1, Siphonogorgia 3, Solenocaulon 1, Keroei- 

 des 1, Suberogorgia 1, Acanthogorgia 2 n. sp., 1 n. var., Astromuricea 1 n., 

 Echinomuricea 2 (1 n.), Echinogorgia 2 (1 n.), Heterogorgia 1 n., Bebryce 1 n.. 

 Acamptogorgia 2 (1 n.), 1 n. var., Ads 4 (3 n.), Muricella 4 (2 n.), Plexaura 

 3 var. (2 n.), Lophogorgia 3 (2 n.), Leptogorgia 3, Stenogorgia I n., Gorgonia 1, 

 Rhipidogorgia 1, Scirpearella 2 n. sp., 3 var., Scirpearia 1, Juncdla 4 (1 n.), 

 1 n. var., Verrueella 1 n. sp., 2 n. var., Telesto 2, Umbellula 1, Virgularia 4 (1 n.), 

 Halisceptmm 2 (1 n.), Pteroides 1, Gavernularia 1, Stylobelemnoides n. g. et sp. 

 The last named is a Veretillid with polyps over the whole surface, spicules 

 long rod-like spindles, axis cylindrical, calyces with 8 double rows of spicules. 



C. Hydrocorallia. 



See supra p 25 Branner. 



Hickson & England point out that the association of Millepora with the Sty- 

 lasteridse ,to form the Hydrocorallina is not justified by their anatomy and 

 advocate that H. should be placed in an order Milleporina near the Hydro- 

 medusae, and the family Sty. in an order Stylasterina near the Trachymednsse. 

 The living parts of M. are confined to a thin surface lamina while in Sty. 

 the living canals usually penetrate to the axis of the smaller branches and it 



