376 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



The female gonophore of T. regain is practically a fixed Medusoid, 

 except that the tentacles are represented by longitudinal ribs. In T. 

 asymmetrka one of the radial canals is retained in full expression, while 

 the others are reduced, thus showing an approximation to the Hybocodon 

 Medusoid, in which one radial canal is stronger than the others, and 

 bears fully-developed tentacles, while the others have the tentacles re- 

 duced or absent. In T. larynxthe radial canals are indicated, but have 

 do lumen. The greatest reduction is seen in the gonophores of Cory- 

 morpha grwrilandka and in the male of Tubularia regalis and T. indivisa, 

 where all traces of radial canals have disappeared, the circular canal is 

 just hinted at, and the lumen of the bell has gone 



Porifera. 



Indian Clionidae.* — Xelson Annandale .rives an account of the 

 Indian boring sponges of the family Clionidse. Of the six genera 

 recognized by Topsent, viz. Glwna, ' 'lionopsis, Dotona, Thoosa, < 'Uothosa, 

 and Alectona, all are represented in Oriental waters save Gliorinpsis, but 

 Annandale is not satisfied that Cliothosa is more than a phase of certain 

 species of Thoosa. The author describes. Cliona annulifora sp. n., G. 

 acustella sp. n., Thoosa Isevigaster sp. n.. and T. investigatoris sp. n. 

 The last secretes a homy covering fur its growing-points when they 

 come in contact with foreign bodies. Where such a covering occurs 

 there are nodular amphiasters with nearly spherical lateral and terminal 

 bosses covered densely with minute straight spines. If the covering is 

 very thick a number of these spicules can usually be discovered in 

 which the spines on the nodules seem to be completely worn away and 

 the nodules themselves even to some extent destroyed. This suggests 

 that the spicules of this peculiar type play an important part in the 

 perforation of the compact outer layers of the shell in which the sponge 

 burrows. 



Sponges of Spain.f — Francisco Ferrer Hernandez continues his 

 account of the sponges of Cantabria, and deals with the Myxospongida, 

 Tetraxonida, and Triaxonida. The majority are common to southern 

 French and British waters, but there are some northern forms like 

 Graniella cranium, G . zetlandica, and Thenea murkata. Five species are 

 also found in the Mediterranean, Plakortis simplex, StelJetta simplkissima, 

 S. pumex, Rhinaxinella pyrifera and Petrosia dura. Some more eastern 

 forms also occur, like Ghalina rectangularis and Raphidophlus n'lifer. 



Protozoa. 



Effect of Thyroid on Division Rate of Paramecium. £ — Waldo 

 Slmmway has made a number of interesting experiments on the effect 

 of thyroid and thymus added to the diet of a pedigreed line of Para- 



* Records Indian Museum, si. (1915) pp. 1-24 (lpl. and 4 figs.), 

 t Trabajos Mus. Mac. Madrid, Ser. Zool. Num. 17, pp. 1-46. 

 X Journ. Esper. Zool., xvii. (1914) pp. 297-314 (3 figs.). 



