404 MEMOIRS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



In the papers "Die Gattung Chxlrxxn-a'" (18S1) and " Korallenstudien " (ISSO, 1891), Prof. 

 A. R. von Heider ha.s described in detail the anatomy and the relationships of the polyps to the^'oral- 

 luni in two species of Oladucora, and Astroidi'S ca/i/c(//<ir/s, Dendroj)/u/Ift'<i raiiiea, and 2ladracis 

 vhare/ito's. The work of von Heider is especially noteworthy on account of his contention that the 

 skeleton of corals is derived from an actual calcification of the ectodermal cells or calicoblasts. 



Dr. G. H. Fowler, in a series of live papers, "The Anatomy of the Madreporaria," appearing 

 in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, from 1885 to 1890, has described in greater or 

 less detail the soft parts of a larger number of corals than any other student of the group, and has 

 brought together many important details of coral structure. In the introduction to his tirst paper 

 Fowler gives a review of the little that was then known of the anatomy of the Madreporaria. 



Prof. G. C. Bourne, in two papers, also published in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical 

 Science (1887). describes at some length the anatomy of the corals, Fungta^ Jlttsiia, and Euj^hyUia. 

 In 1893 Bourne gave a detailed description of the postembryonic development of Fungia, founded 

 on material collected by Prof. A. C. Haddon, while in 1899 he published a masterly account of 

 the nature and origin of the skeleton in the Anthozoa, dealing particularly with the Madrepora- 

 rian skeleton and the calicoblastic layer. Bourne has also contributed the article "Anthozoa" 

 to Prof. Ray Lankester's Treatise on Zoology (1900), wherein he gives a clear account of many 

 of the structural details of the Madreporaria. 



W. L. Sclatcr, in 1886, contriliuted an anatomical description of StepJuimdmchus luoseleyamis, 

 and J. Stanley Gardiner (19(i0) has given a detailed account of the "'Anatomy of a supposed new 

 species of Ca'/iojjsamtji.kt from Lifu;"' Miss Edith M. Pratt (1900) has described the anatomy of 

 JVeohelia porcellana (Moselev). 



Prof. G. von Koch, in a large series of papers, extending from 1877 to the present dav, has 

 probably done more than any other worker toward elucidating the problems of Madreporarian 

 morphology, on the correct lines of embryology and the relations of the hard and soft parts as 

 revealed by microscopic sections. 



Prof. H. de Lacaze-Duthiers, in 1872-73, made two valuable embryological contributions, 

 " Developpement des Coralliaires," and records the results of the first attempts to rear coral larvaj 

 to the skeleton-bearing stage, while his tigure of the anatomical relations of the soft and hard 

 parts of Axtroidetf caJt/cidaris has been copied into many of the text-books of zoology. Two 

 recent publications of Lacaze-Duthiers (1894, 1897) contain descriptions of a number of early 

 stages in the development of several coral species. 



Prof. H. V. Wilson (1888) has carried out a verj' complete studj' of the embryology and larval 

 ■stages of Ifanicma areolata, as far as the stage at which the skeleton was about to appear; Prof. 

 A. ('. Haddon (IS'.td) lias also published notes on the newly hatched larva of Kupliyllia. 



In all probability the polyps of not more than tifty sijecies of corals have been anatomically 

 studied, and then often incompletely, owing to the insufficiency of well-preserved material. It 

 must be acknowledged, that in so far as the results throw light upon the important question of 

 the natural relations of the various groups of corals, they are disappointing, especially M'hen the 

 great amount of labor involved in conducting the investigations is taken into account. Similar 

 anatomical researches carried out on the allied grouj) of the Actiniaria, by workers such as the 

 brothers Hertwig, lladdon, McMuri-ich. Carlgren, and many others, have resulted in placing 

 our knowledge of these forms upon a fairh' satisfactory morphological basis. No doubt it will 

 yet be possible to accomplish the same for the ^Madreporaria, as the polyps of more species, 

 especially reef-builders, l)ecome fully known. 



A residence in Jamaica, in the neighljorhood of coral reefs, has afforded me the opportunity of 

 studying, within the past two or three years, the West Indian shallow-water corals in their living 

 condition, and of preserving them for subsecjuent examination. And in this connection I desire to 

 record my appreciation of the liberal action of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Jamaica 

 in enabling me to carry out such reseai'ches, purely scientitic in their nature. 



In the shallow waters of Kingston Harboi', Jamaica, occur free colonies of the following species 

 of corals: Parif'X di r(iri<vt(i, Jlanichxi (ireohda, Si'de/xtxtnen nid/'iins, Cladnrora arhuscida, Solen- 

 astriea Jiyadcs. and Ociilhin diffusa. Any of these can be easily kept in aijuaria in a la])oratory, 



