338 NOTES ON SOME AUSTRALIAN POLYZOA, 



The published descriptions and figures show that the species in 

 the above list have not as yet been fairly understood, nor has the 

 opercular-bearing aperture, or the very exceptional method of 

 growth been fully described. Nearly all the figures representing 

 zoceocial characters are the wrong side up, whilst the peristomial 

 orifice has been described as the true oral aperture, and a special 

 pore situated above the mouth has been mistaken for the sinus in 

 the lower lip. 



Mr. "Woods figures the oral aperture in Cupularia crassa but he 

 omits to mention details in his description. Mr. Waters (Quart. 

 J. Geol. Soc. 1882), gives figures of LunuUtes cancellata in which 

 the oral aperture is shown, but these are also the wrong side up, 

 and in his description he simply refers to it as a secondary 

 orifice with a proximal sinus. It is in my opinion clear that he 

 did at the tune recognise the true significance of this "secondary 

 orifice." Another prominent feature which is figured by Mr. 

 Woods, and well-described by Mr. Has well as "a narrow semi- 

 lunar slit with the concavity directed outwards" has in most cases 

 been overlooked, and its true import hitherto unnoticed. 



The facts as to the actual structure of the species already men- 

 tioned have been derived from an attentive study of specimens in the 

 collection of the Australian Museum, Mr. Woods's types in the 

 Macleay Museum, and some lent to me by Mr. J. Brazier. 



The structural features presented by the various species of this 

 group are of such an exceptional character that it will be necessary 

 to remove them altogether from the family Selenariadce in which 

 most of the species have been placed. In fact they appear to 

 possess characters which are either unknown, or rarely found in 

 other species of polyzoa ; and possibly when they have been fully 

 investigated they may form the nucleus of a new family. 



The method of growth (not habit or form) or increase in size of 

 the zoarium by the addition of new zooecia is intercalary taking 

 place on the surface between cells already formed, and not at the 

 outer margin as in most other known Polyzoa. The only instances 



