566 Records of the Indian Museum. [VoL25b, 
logous with the similar structure common in adult members of the 
Hydridae and in young specimens of Tiarella, and the basal bulb 
in its first development phylogenetically and ontogenetically, may 
be taken as a highly specialized form of the basal dise or ‘‘ Fuss- 
platte.’’ 
Finally, the multiserial endoderm of the tentacles finds a close 
analogy in the similar (but hollow) endoderm of the Hydridae 
(Hydra and Moertsia). 
Perhaps one ought to add that if faith be placed in Haeckel’s 
hypothesis of the origin of a capitate tentacle as the thrusting out 
on a stalk of a cluster of nematocysts, then the capitation of the 
tentacles may also be placed amongst the primitive characters. 
A survey of the systematic distribution of the distinctive 
characters of Annulella shows that they are confined to four fami- 
lies of the Hydroidae—Hydridae, Corynidae, Pennaridae and Tubu- 
lariidae; but that they preponderate towards the more primitive 
end of the series—the Hydridae and Corynidae. Systematists 
have long regarded the tentacles as a primary basis of distinction, 
special stress being laid upon their capitate or filiform condition 
and their distribution upon the hydranth body. This basis being 
adopted, the capitate and scattered tentacles of Annulella place it 
definitely in the family Corynidae, but there are clear affinities in 
the multiserial endoderm of the tentacles, in the simple budding, 
and in the basal disc and bulb to members of the family Hydridae. 
In the Corynidae, where, agreeing with Mme. Motz-Kos- 
sowska (1905, p. 45), I would place Tiarella, in preference to the 
position with the Pennaridae assigned to it by Schulze, there is no 
genus closely comparable to Annulella. But it bears some relation- 
ship to Tiarella from which it differs most markedly in possessing 
scattered tentacles, and beyond which it has advanced in the 
specialization of its basal bulb and of the nematocyst rings on its 
tentacles. In respect of the distribution of tentacles and of the 
general absence of perisarc except on the basal extremity, Annul- 
ella approaches Myriothela, and, since no more satisfactory alter- 
native presents itself, I rank it with this genus in the sub-family 
Myriothelinae. 
In these days of many tentative classifications misunder- 
standing may be avoided if I state that I consider the family 
Corynidae to contain those Gymnoblastic Hydroids in which the 
tentacles are all capitate and are either scattered or distributed in 
several whorls; and that in its sub-family Myriothelinae I would 
place such Corynids as possess scattered tentacles, are solitary, 
and lack a supporting skeleton of perisarc. 
