556 SYDNEY J. niCKSON. 



The structure and Relations of Tubipora. 



By 



Sydney J. HicRson, B.A., B.Sc, 



Scholar of Downing College, Cambridge, and Assistant to the Linacre Pro- 

 fessor, Oxford. 



With Plates XXXIX and XL. 



Amongst a most valuable series of specimens collected at 

 Zanzibar, by Mr. G. Gulliver, M.A., M.D.,-late Naturalist to the 

 Transit of Venus expedition, was a fine specimen of Tubi- 

 pora purpurea, which had been carefully and admirably 

 preserved in strong methylated spirit. Having the good fortune 

 to have this material at my disposal and likewise some fine dried 

 specimens in the Oxford University Museum, I undertook, at 

 the suggestion of Professor Moseley, a renewed examination of 

 both the hard and soft parts in this important and interesting 

 genus. My main objects were (1st) to examine and record 

 the varieties of the structures known as the " infundibuliform 

 tabulse " in the dried specimens ; (2nd) to discover the true 

 meaning of these tabulae by sections made through spirit 

 specimens of the corallites ; and (3rd) to clear up, as far as 

 possible, certain of the other doubtful points in the anatomy 

 and histology of the genus. For the first of these I found 

 that a lump of Tubipora musica given to me by Professor 

 Moseley, afforded the most fruitful results. My second object 

 was fully achieved upon the specimen of Tubipora purpurea 

 brought from Zanzibar by Mr. Gulliver. The same specimen 

 also gave me some excellent results in study iug the anatomy 



