ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 191 



designed especially to prevent such a circuit-wave from taking posses- 

 sion of the organ. 



In Cassiopea the pulsation-stimulus is conducted by the diffuse 

 network of the subumbrella, and is independent of the muscles, which 

 may or may not respond to its presence by contraction. In other 

 words, conductivity of the pulsating tissue is independent of its con- 

 tractility. 



A solution containing the amounts and proportions of NaCl + KC1 

 + CaCl 2 found in sea-water, produces strong primary nervous and 

 muscular excitement in Cassiopea (and in Lepas), followed by ex- 

 haustion and muscular tetanus. This may be cured by adding the 

 amount and proportion of magnesium found in sea-water. 



New Primnoids.* — Kumao Kinoshita describes two new Primnoids, 

 for which he proposes to establish a new subgenus of Thouarella. The 

 diagnosis of this new subgenus, Diplocalyptra, reads : Colony small ; 

 branching typically dichotomous ; without secondary twigs, in one 

 plane ; axes yellow to brown, with a gold sheen ; polyps in whorls of 

 2 to 4, rarely solitary ; operculum inconspicuous, but a strong circurn- 

 operculum ; sclerites thin. 



New Plexaurids.f — W. Kiikenthal reports a number of new Plex- 

 aurids — seven species of Euplexaura, six of Plexauroides, Anthoplexaura 

 dimorpha g. et sp. n., and three new species of Eunicella. The new genus, 

 Anthoplexaura, is thus defined : Colony with bushy branching in several 

 planes ; polyps large, without spicules, retractile into prominent calyces ; 

 dimorphic, with very numerous siphonozooids ; ccenenchyma thick, with 

 spindles and clubs which bear broad, often forked warts ; the axis is 

 horny, impregnated with linie, and very delicate towards the ends of th? 

 branches. This very remarkable form was obtained from Sagamai Bay. 



British Museum Sertulariidae.J — A. Billard agrees with Hartlaub 

 that Sertularella cuneata Allm. and *S'. crassipes Allm. are the same, and 

 are also identical with S. arborea Kirchenp. As Hartlaub thought, 

 S. capillaris Allm. is the same as S.johnstoni Gray. There is a peculiar 

 form of Sertularia elongata Lamx. that may perhaps be a case of sexual 

 dimorphism. There is no difference between S. crinis Allm. and 

 S. operculata Linne, or between S. amplecteus Allm., Desmoscyphus 

 gracilis Allm. ( = Sertularia versluysi Nutting), and 8. loculosa, or between 

 S. crinoidea Allm. and S. minima Thomps., or between S. unilateralis 

 Allm. and S. bispinosa Gray, or between Thitiaria persocialis Allm., 

 T. articulata Pallas, T. ellisii Busk, or between T. dolkhocarpa Allm., 

 T. zelandica Gray, and T. hippisleyana Allm. 



Porifera. 



Neptune's Cup.§— E. Topsent calls attention to Yosmaer's discovery 

 that this sponge, Poterion patera (formerly P. neptuni, etc.), is some- 



* Ann. Zool. Japon. vii. (190S) pp. 4.9-60 (6 figs.). 



t Zool. Anzeig., xxxii. (1908) pp 495-504. 



1 Comptes Rendus, cxlviii. (1909) pp. 193-5. 



§ Arch. Zool. Exper. ix. (1909) Notes et Revue, No. 4, pp. lxix.-lxxn. 



