ZOOLOGY. 573 



III. PORIFERS. 



Bowerbank (J. S.) A Monograph of the British Spongiadae. Edit >d with Mditions 



by A. M. Norman. Vol.4. (Supplementary.) Loudon, Eay Society, 1882. (8vo, 



xvii, 250 pp., 17 pi.) 

 Marshall (W.) Die Ontogonie von Reuiera filigrana O. Schm. Zeitschr. f. ivies Zool., 37 



Bd., pp. 221-246, pi., 13-14. 

 Vosmaer (G. C. J.) Porifera. Neu bearbeitet. 1. Lief. Leipzig, C. P. Winter, 1882. 



(Bronn's Klassen und Ordnungen Theirreicha, 2. Band. 8vo.) 

 Weltner (Wilhelm). Beitriige zur Keuntniss der Spongien. Mit 3 Lichldrucktaf. 



Inaug.-DiBs. Freiburg, i, Br., 1882. (8vo, 62 pp.) 



Relati&ns of the Sponges. 



Inasmuch as Mr. Kent has raised again the question as to the affini- 

 ties of the Sponges, the conclusions reached by Professor Marshall from a 

 study of the development of Benierafiligrans, one of the Fibrous Sponges 

 representing a family allied to the commercial species, may be aptly 

 noticed here. After traversing the views of previous investigators, 

 Marshall contends that the Sponges are less differentiated from the 

 Coelenterates than some of those even who admit the value of its met- 

 azoic characteristics — e. g. Balfour — have been disposed to concede. 

 The Fibrous Sponges, by their developmental history, are shown to be 

 less specialized than the calcareous types. The objection that the ab- 

 sence of tentacles and nettle-cells is of prime importance is met by the 

 assertion that such are also wanting in Beroe, and that, at any rate, it 

 is no more than might be a priori looked for, on account of the habits 

 and characteristics of nutrition of the forms. In fine, the Sponges are 

 asserted to be derivatives in common with the typical Coelentrates from a 

 Protactinian stock, and both are Metazoans with gastric cavities and 

 mesenterial pouches and with centrifugal canals originating from the 

 former, which may open to the exterior by pores and thereby take in 

 nutriment ; they are invested by endodermal cells which may become 

 converted into flagellate cells. (J. R. M. S., (2,) v. ii, p. 798.) 



IV. CCELENTERATES. 



GENERAL. 



Hamann (Otto). Studien libor Ccelanteraten. Mit2Taf. Jena. Zeitachr.f. Naturwisa, 

 XV Bd., pp. 545-557. 



HYDROIDS. 



Hamann (Otto). Der Organismua der Hydroidpolypen. Mit 6 Ta£ Jena. Zeitschr. 



f. Naturwiaa., v. xv, pp. 473-544. 

 Haeckel (Ernst). Report on the Deep Sea Medusae dredged by H. M. S. Challenger. 



With 32 pi. Report Sci&niif. Results, Challenger, Zool., v. iv, cv, 154 pp. 

 Mereschkonsky (C. de). Structure et developpment des Nematophores Chez les Hy- 



droides. Avec 2 pi. Arch. Zool. JExjyerim., t. x, pp. 583-610. 



Primordial Medusae. 



The earliest indications of Medusae hithierto known have been of 

 triassic age and found in the lithographic slate of Solenhofen. The con- 

 sistency of these organisms naturally militates against their preserva- 



