ANATOMY OF THE ANTIPATHIC. 



In the limited time at my disposal it has not been possible to prepare an account 

 of the structure of the whole of the genera and species of Antipathidae examined, and 

 the following remarks are offered as a preliminary contribution to the subject. Owing 

 to the length of time which has elapsed since the Challenger Collection was made, many 

 of the specimens preserved in strong spirit do not show histological details satisfactorily, 

 added to which, the small size of the polyps of most species makes them difficult of 

 manipulation. I have on these accounts been unable to avail myself of the methods of 

 maceration, &c, which yielded such excellent results in the hands of the brothers 

 Hertwig when studying the histology of the Actiniaria. 



The histological structure of the Antipathinaa is in its main features similar to that 

 of Actiniaria, but in this respect there is a closer approach to the condition found in 

 Zoanthidae and Cerianthidse than to the Hexactiniaa. Two features are of special 

 interest, viz., the extremely rudimentary condition of the muscular system and the 

 thin homogeneous mesoglcea, which is apparently entirely devoid of stellate connective 

 tissue cells. These have, however, been observed in Cladopathes amongst the Schizo- 

 pathinae, in which genus the mesogloea is thicker than in any other observed, and. 

 approaches more closely to the Hexactinian type. 



In addition to the works enumerated in the Bibliography, the following have also 

 been studied in so far as they have a bearing on the anatomy of the Antipatharia : — 



Andres, A., Intorno all' Edwardsia Claparedii, Mitth. d. Zool. Stat. z. Neapel, Bd. ii., 1880. 



Bourne, G. C, Anatomy of Fungia, Quart. Jour. Micr. Sci., 1887, pp. 293-324, and 3 pis.; Anatomy of Mussa 



and Euphyllia, ibid., 1887, pp. 21-51, and 2 pis. 

 Erdmann, Ueber einige neue Zoantheen, Jenaische Zeitsclir., Bd. xix. pp. 430-488, pis. iv., v., 1885. 

 Fowler, G. H., Anatomy of the Madreporaria, pt. i., Quart. Jour. Micr. Sci., 1885, pp. 577-597, and 3 pis.; 



pt. ii., ibid., 1886, pp. 1-16, and 1 pi.; pt. iii., ibid., 1887, pp. 1-19, and 2 pis.; pt. iv., ibid., 1888, pp. 



413-430, and 2 pis. 

 Heider, A. von, Cerianthus membranaceus, Sitzungsb. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Bd. lxxix. pp. 204-254, 6 pis. and 1 



woodcut, 1879. 

 Hertwig, O. and R., Die Actinien, Jenaische Zeitsclir., Bd. xiii. pp. 457-640, and 10 pis., 1879; ibid., Bd. xiv. 



pp. 39-89, 1880. 

 Hertwig, R., Report on the Challenger Actiniaria, Supplement (Zool. Chall. Exp., vol. xxvi. pt. lxxiii.), 1888. 



