366 The Irish Naturalist. December, 



Volume ii. contains descriptions of Ascidians belonging to the follow- 

 ing families :— (i) part of Ascidiidse, including Ciona and Corella ; (2) 

 Molgulidse (Molgula and Eugyra); (3) Cynthiidae, including Cynthia, 

 Styela, and Styelopsis (the last by the Editor ; A. aud H. left a space 

 in MSS. for a new genus to include several Cynthiidae; Traustedt estab- 

 lished the genus in 1882), Thylacium and Pelonaia; (4) Clavellinidae 

 (Clavelliua, Perophora, Diazona). 



In some cases slight alterations have been made in the text by the 

 editor: thus "anal" has been replaced by "atrial" when the external 

 opening is referred to. The lists of synonyms and localities have also 

 been brought up to date. The descriptions are entirely by the authors, 

 with the exception of a few notes by the editor for the sake of clearness, 

 and are exceptionally lucidly expressed, though somewhat wordy at 

 times. They are not quite as methodical as could be wished. Thus, in 

 some instances, the dorsal tubercle is passed over without mention, 

 while in others a fairly full description is given. The branchial sac, too, 

 is often insufficiently described, considering its importance in identifica- 

 tion. Some of the descriptions are of animals never seen by the authors, 

 and are simply drawn from descriptions supplied by the finders. The 

 arrangement of the families and genera differs considerably from 

 that in general use to-da}'— that given by Herdman in his Revised 

 Classification — but this is of course a matter of not much con- 

 sequence. The genera themselves are much the same as they are 

 to-day with a few exceptions, e.g. Polycarpa and Forbesella are included 

 in the genera Styela and Cynthia. The new species have, most of 

 them, as good a claim to newness as most of those founded to-day, but 

 the following at least seem to have been separated on insufficient 

 grounds, especially as the internal organs of some of them were partially 

 decomposed. Time has, however, shown some of them to be good 

 species : — 



Corella larvaformis -, from two specimens from the same locality ; Molgula 

 complanata, from one specimen ; Molgula valvata, from one specimen with 

 internal parts much injured; Molgula iucouspicua, from one specimen ; 

 Eugyra glodosa, from one specimen with internal parts in bad condition ; 

 Cynthia ovata, from one specimen ; Styela opalina, from one specimen with 

 internal organs partially decomposed ; Styela violacea, from two specimens 

 too minute and delicate for internal parts to be examined; Styela 

 spharica, one specimen with young one attached. Of these, at least two, 

 Molgula valvata and Eugyra globosa, are admittedly ver}' near Molgula oculata 

 and Eugyra arenosa, respectively. 



The plates and figures in the text are on the whole good, though one 

 or two, e.Q. fig. 10, pi. xxii. and figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, plate I., seem to 

 have been drawn from much contracted specimens. But they are much 

 better than the average, and cannot but be extremely useful. To anyone 

 with a fair knowledge of the group the book will be of great help, as, 

 even if not in ever}' case strictly accurate, descriptions are a valuable aid, 

 be it only to show that a specimen does not belong to the species 

 described. To a novice, however, the book cannot be recommended, as 



