466 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Transverse Division in Hydra.* — W. Koelitz notes that this mode 

 of multiplication occurs in the ponds in autumn as well as in spring. 

 It must be of some importance in the multiplication of the polyp. 



New Plumularid in the 'Challenger' Collection. f— A. Billard 

 describes Plunmlaria MrkpatricM sp. n., based on fragments in the 

 'Challenger' collection. He also notes a new variety — elongatus — of 

 Thecocarpus myriophyllum, and makes some corrections in nomenclature, 



Commensalism of Fish and Hydroid. J— V. Franz and E. Stechow 

 refer to a fish obtained by Doflein in Sagami Bay which was covered 

 with a hydroid, as previously described by Alcock. E. Stechow describes 

 the hydroid — Stylactis minoi Allman — and notes that it had well developed 

 medusoids and should perhaps be referred to the genus Podocoryne. 

 Franz has some notes on the fish, Minous inermis Alcock. 



Leptomedusae of San Diego. § — H. B. Torrey finds that these present 

 a well isolated group. Of the eleven dealt with, ten are new. The new 

 genus Scrippsia is distinguished from its nearest relative, PolyorcMs, by 

 the gastric peduncle and the absence of pinnately arranged branches of 

 the radial canals distal to the gouads. The new genus or sub-genus 

 Tiaropsidium is proposed for Tiaropsis-hke forms with tentacles of two 

 kinds, four or eight large, and a varying number of much smaller, more 

 or less rudimentary tentacles between them. The new genus Phialopsis 

 is proposed for Phialidium-like forms with a few (16-22) long tentacles, 

 numerous rudimentary tentacles, marginal cirri, and numerous large 

 statocysts. 



Medusoids from East Africa. || — CI. Hartlaub reports on a collection 

 of Mesucloids made at Djibuti by Ch. Clravier. The collection is in- 

 teresting because it concerns a region of which little is known in this 

 connection. Hartlaub describes three new species — Eutimalphes modesta, 

 Octorchandraorimtalis, and Amphogona pusilla — and a number of others 

 previously known. The collection also included Cassiopeia andromeda 

 Eschr., one of the Acraspeda. 



Fission and Autotomy in Sea-anemones. % — G. Bohn reports the 

 frequent occurrence of rapid fission in Antliea cereus. A constriction of 

 the body is effected, and the mesenteries re-arrange themselves in each 

 of the two parts. Slight impurity of the water or rapid change in 

 illumination may provoke the fission. That fission is going to occur is 

 often indicated by differences in the reactions of the two halves. After 

 the rupture the two new individuals have often different tropisms. In 

 one case the autotomy of all the tentacles of the outer whorl was observed. 

 Wounds do not seem to have much to do with the autotomy. 



* Zool. Anzieg., xxxiii. (1909) p. 783. 

 t Comptes Rendus, cxlvii. (1908) pp. 758-60. 

 t Zool. Anzeig., xxxii. (1908) pp. 752-4. 



§ Univ. Californian Publications (Zool.) vi. (1909) pp. 11-31 (11 figs.). 

 || Zool. Jahrb., xxvii. (1909) pp. 447-76 (5 pis.). 

 % C.R. Soc. Biol. Paris, lxiv. (1908) pp. 936-9. 



