ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 185 



young specimens of Actinia equina, Germs pedunculatus, and a number 

 of Depastrtim cyat/iiforme. It was J in. in diameter when expanded ; the 

 "epidermis" was not dense (as in Gosse's description), but free and 

 easily removed ; the column was usually much flattened during the day, 

 pillar-like at night ; no acontia were emitted ; there were 36 tentacles. 

 much more active at night than during the daytime ; the colouring 

 harmonised very exactly with the surroundings. 



Japanese Primnoidse.* — K. Kinoshita gives a preliminary account 

 of a number of interesting new species of Primnoidae from Sagami and 

 Kagoshima : — Plumarella spinosa, Thouaretta typica, Dicholaphis deli- 

 cata (g. n.), Galigorgia granulosa, Primnoa pacifica, Stachyodes irregu- 

 laris, S. trannulata, and Calyptrophora ijimai. It will be very interest- 

 ing to see the full descriptions of some of these, e.g. of Primnoa pacifica, 

 for P. lepadifera or reseda has been hitherto the only known representa- 

 tive of the genus. 



Alcyonaria, Antipatharia, and Madreporaria from the North Side 

 of the Bay of Biscay.f — S. J. Hickson reports the occurrence of 

 Alcyonium coralloides (= Sympodium coralloides), Gorallium maderense 

 (= Pleurocorall ium maderense), Isidella elongata, Acanella arbuscula, 

 Acanthogorgia ridleyi ; Stichopathes spiralis, Parantipathes larix, Schizo- 

 pathes crassa ; Garyophyllia clavus, Demophyllum cristagalli, and Loplio- 

 helia prolifera. Of these records the most interesting is that of 

 Gorallium maderense. Only one other specimen of this species has 

 hitherto been obtained, and no specimen of the family has hitherto been 

 recorded from the Bay of Biscay. 



Japanese Ctenophora.| — Fanny Moser reports on a collection 

 made by Doflein off the east coast of Japan, which included Ocyroe 

 maadata, Beroe cucumis, B. forsJcdli, B. hyalina sp. n., Hormiphora 

 japonica sp. n., Pandora mitrata sp. n., Bolina mikado sp. n. The dis- 

 tinctions of the genera Neis, Pandora, and Beroe are discussed. It is 

 pointed out that in B. cucumis the gastral vessels are unbranched, and 

 that the ramifications of the meridional vessels on the stomach-wall end 

 blindly, whereas in B. ovata the gastral vessels are branched, and the 

 ramifications of the meridional and gastral vessels on the stomach-wall 

 form an anastomosing network. Agassiz's Idya roseola is identical with 

 B. cucumis. 



Porifera. 



Amcebocytes of Spongillids.§ — W. Weltner gives an account of the 

 seasonal changes in Ephydatia fluviatilis, and devotes special attention to 

 the amcebocytes. He maintains that in the growing sponge these 

 elements form the mesogloea, the skeleton, and the gemmules ; that 

 they are the agents in the new growth in spring and in the reparation 

 of injuries. They are the most important elements in the sponge body, 

 for they can replace all the others. 



* Annot. Zool. Japon, vi. (1907) pp. 229-34. 



t Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc, viii., (1907) pp. 6-14. 



X Zool. Anzeig., xxxii. (1907) pp. 449-54. 



§ Archiv Natur., lxxiii. (1907) pp. 273-86(2 figs.). 



April 15th, 1908 o 



