348 SYDNEY J. HICKSON. 



convain9re que ces loges ne sont autre chose que la continua- 

 tion du corps des polypes eux-memes;" and asserted that the 

 polyps do not retreat into their tubes like the Serpulse, &c., 

 do, but into themselves by a sort of invagination. He noticed, 

 moreover, the mesenterial filaments, which he called " les 

 organes intestinaux,'^ and added with extraordinary perspi- 

 cuity that they ought to be considered organs of secretion, 

 " analogues aux canaux biliaires des insectes/' 



In more recent times the only account we have of the 

 anatomy of Alcyonium digitatum is that given by Carl 

 Vogt and Jung in their ' Lehrbuch' (37) ; but it contains so 

 many blunders, and the illustrations are so exceedingly diffi- 

 cult of interpretation, that it is really of very little use to the 

 student of zoology. 



Von Koch's (21) account of the anatomy of Alcyonium 

 palmatum contains some points of interest, but as it is very 

 brief and but imperfectly illustrated it is not of much practical 

 value. 



It was the absence of any good account of this common 

 British Alcyonarian which first induced me to make a careful 

 study of some of the details of its anatomy; but I soon found 

 that I must defer the investigation of many details until an 

 opportunity presented itself of studying the living animal at 

 the sea-side. I found, however, that many points presented 

 greater difficulties than I anticipated, and 1 have been obliged 

 to delay the publication of my results until I felt quite certain 

 by repeated observation and experiment of their accuracy. 

 Just before the close of last year I learned that the late Prof. 

 Milnes Marshall was preparing for publication a description 

 of the anatomy of Alcyonium palmatum, and the last letter 

 I received from him, only a few weeks before the lamentable 

 accident which caused his death, was on the subject of the 

 formation of the buds in Alcyonium. With characteristic 

 generosity he proposed to postpone the publication of his work 

 until my paper was finished, and invited me to see his pre- 

 parations before I went to press. 



Since his death his brother has forwarded to me the few 



