G80 SUMMAKY OF CURKENT EESEARCHES RELATING TO 



four inner pouches. An anatomical comparison leads the author to 

 conclude that the difference is readily explained on the assumption that 

 the inner perradial pouches of the Cleistocarpidae arise by the formation 

 of transverse partitions which divide the radial pouches of the Eleu- 

 therocarpidsB into two. This is in accordance with James Clark's views. 

 Palythoa and Epizoanthus.* — M. Louis Eoule was led, by his dis- 

 covery of Palythoa paguricola on small hermit-crabs, to investigate the 

 generic differences between Palythoa and Epizoanthus, and his conclu- 

 sion is that not only Epizoanthus, but Gemmaria, Corticifera, and Para- 

 zoanthus should be re-embraced in the genus Palythoa, the fact being 

 that modifications due to habitat — on convex shell, or on sponge-spicules, 

 or on rough rock — have been misinterpreted as specific or generic differ- 

 ences. The numerous forms of Palythoa arenacea show this clearly. 



North American Actiniaria.t — Prof. G. IT. Parker furnishes a 

 synopsis and diagnostic key to the tribes, genera, and species of the 

 North American members of the sub-order A.ctiniaria. 



Chinese lAlcyonacea.J — August Putter describes certain new Al- 

 cyonacea from the collection in the Breslau Museum. The most inter- 

 esting form is Eleutherobia japonica g. et sp. n., which is remarkable 

 in that the colony is not attached, but free like a Pennatula. The 

 generic diagnosis is as follows : — Free living Alcyonacea with sterile 

 stern and cylindrical unbrancbed polypary. 



Porifera. 



Monograph on French Sponges. § — E. Topsent continues his mono- 

 graph on French sponges, and in this (the third) part he .begins his 

 description of the sub-order Hadromerina of the Monaxonida, which 

 he divides into two sections: (A) the Clavulida, including Clionidae, 

 SpirastrellidaB, PolymastidaB, Suberitidaa, and Mesapidae ; and (B) the 

 Aciculida, including Coppatiidae, Streptasteridae, Tethyidae, and Stylo- 

 cordylidae. 



Protozoa. 



Protozoa oftthe Rice-fields. || — Rina Monti gives a list of these, 

 which includes forms common in running water, e. g. Monas ovata, 

 others frequent in vegetable infusions, e.g. Chilomonas paramsecium, 

 others abundant in stagnant water, e.g. Paramsecium aurelia, others 

 characteristic of marshes, e.g. Pelomyxa palustris, others found in damp 

 earth, e.g. some forms of Amosba, and others which occur in drinking 

 water, e.g. Actinophrys sol. 



Notes on Pelomyxa.lf — Prof. H. V. Wilson describes P. carolinensis 

 sp. n. obtained in quantity from a " culture " — a good handful of Nitella, 

 two or three opened mussels, and a crayfish, in a wooden tub with 4 in. 

 of sand. A gentle stream of water was turned on for a short time every 

 few days as decomposition went on. The structure and habits are 



' Comptes Rendus, cxxxi. (1900) pp. 279-81. 



t Amur. Nat., xxxiv. (1900) pp. 747-58 (22 figs.). 



t Zool. Jahrb. (Abt. Syst.), xiii. (1900) pp. 442-62 (2 pis.). 



§ Arch. Zool. Expe'r., viii. (1900) pp. 1-331 (S pis.). 



[| Rend. 1st. Lombardo, xxxii. (1899) pp. 159-64. 



IT Amer. Nat., xxxiv. (1900) pp. 535-50 (11 figs.). 



