BRITISH ZOOPHYTES. 145 



ix. of the series issued under the direction of the 

 Naples Zoological Station, upon the Fauna and Flora 

 of the Gulf of Naples, 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE ZOANTHARIA. 



As just stated above, the only work in English 

 dealing with the whole of the British Zoantharia is the 

 *' Actinologia Britannica " of the Rev. P. H. Gosse. I 

 have followed, so far as possible, the classifications 

 adopted by him, bringing them, however, into con- 

 formity with the more recent systems of Prof. Hertwig 

 and Dr. Andres. The classification adopted by the 

 latter is very much in accordance with that of Mr. 

 Gosse; and as it is based chiefly upon easily ob- 

 servable characters, I have preferred it to that of Prof. 

 Hertwig, noticing, however, any prominent differences 

 in the systems. 



The Zoantharia are divided by Milne Edwards into 

 three sub-orders, viz. : the Malacodeemata {Adiniaria 

 of Hertwig and Andres, and Astrcaacea of Gosse) ; 

 ScLEROBASiCA, of which there is no British species; and 

 ScLERODERMATA [Garyopliyllacea of Gosse and Madre- 

 poraria of Moseley and Duncan). 



The British species of the Malacodermata possess 

 no corallum, and, with the exception of the Zoanthince, 

 are never found in colonies. 



The ScLERODERMATA dcposit a corallum. 



The British Malacodermata are divided into five 

 families, namely, the ^c^ inince, Edwardsince, Cerianth ince, 

 Stichodactylince, and Zoanthince. 



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