7O McMURRICH. (Vou. III. 
with the Indo-Pacific, the relationships of its Actiniaria being 
very certainly with those of that region. How far this may 
hold in the case of other animal groups remains to be seen, and 
to enter into the question fully would be beyond the scope of 
this paper. It may be noted, however, that von Lendenfeld, in 
a recent paper! states that the Fibrospongiz of the Atlantic 
region of North America (from the context I presume he means 
more especially the West Indian region) and of the East African 
region are most nearly related to the Australian forms. He 
also states, however, that there is more similarity between the 
North American and Australian forms of this group, than be- 
tween those of the latter region and those of the northeastern 
portion of the Indian Ocean. 
Of the tribe Hexactiniz the sub-tribe Actininz has represen- 
tatives in both regions, and the similarity in genera is quite evi- 
dent. The Stichodactylinz are, however, much more abundant 
in the Indo-Pacific (including in this the Caribbean region) than 
in the Atlantic. Of the families of this tribe the Corynactide 
occurs in both regions, and the Aurelianidz in the Atlantic 
region only, unless the Actinoporus elegans of Duchassaing and 
Michelotti (60) and the Actinza osculifera of Lesueur (17), 
which occur in the West Indies, are, as Andres thinks, Aure- 
lians. This seems very doubtful, however. The other families, 
Discosomidz, Rhodactide, Phymanthidz, Phyllactide, Cram- 
bactidz, and Criptodendride, are unrepresented in the Atlantic 
region (excluding the Caribbean area), and of these all but the 
last two are represented in the West Indies. The similarity of 
many of the West Indian genera to those of the Red Sea is 
especially remarkable. Thus Dzscosoma anemone is most nearly 
related to D. giganteum of Klunzinger. The only two species 
of Rhodactis known, R. rhodostoma and R. Sancti Thome, occur 
respectively in the Red Sea and in the West Indies ; Heteran- 
thus floridus is closely related to Klunzinger’s H. verruculatus ; 
and of the Actininz, Condylactis passiflora is related to Klun- 
zinger’s Paractis erythrosoma. 
The only forms found by me at the Bahamas which are char- 
acteristically Atlantic, are the Aiptasias, Bunodes tentatus and 
Aulactinia stellordes. 
IR. von Lendenfeld.— Der Charakter der australischen Célenteratenfauna. 
Biolog. Centralbl., V11., 1887-88. 
