2 Mr. J. E. Duerden on 



glcal Station I have been enabled to compare the Jamaican 

 species with the type, B. stnimosa. Histological examination 

 shows the iirst to agree very closely with the previously 

 investigated A. costm, and the two latter species confirm the 

 original suggestion that the genus should be placed under the 

 family Aliciidje. A description of the three species studied is 

 given below. 



With a few unimportant alterations the family was defined 

 as follows in the paper referred to : — 



Family Aliciidae. 



Hexactinige with a large, flat, contractile base. Tentacles 

 simple, subulate, and entacmasous. Column with simple or 

 compound hollow outgrowths or vesicles ever more or less of 

 its surface, arranged mostly in vertical rows. No cinclides. 

 Sphincter muscle endodermal and diffuse, variable in amount 

 of development. Perfect mesenteries few or numerous. No 

 acontia. 



Besides the genera Alicia and Cystiactis, originally con- 

 stituting the family, it is shown in a recently published paper 

 by Prof. A. C Haddon and myself (1896) that the genus 

 Thaumactis, erected by Dr. G. H. Fowler (18S9), is certainly 

 a member of the family Aliciidte, and now the previously 

 doubtful genus Bunodeopsis is definitely included. The 

 family thus consists of the genera Alicia, Cystiactis, Buno- 

 deopsis, and Thaumactis. 



Genus Alicia, J. Y. Johnson. 



Actinia (pars), Dana, 1846. 



Alicia, J. Y. Johnson, 1861. 



Cladactis, Panceri, 1868. 



Cladactis, Verrill, 1869. 



Cladactis, Andres, 1883. 



Alicia, Haddon and Shackleton, 1893. 



Alicia, Duerden, 1895. 



Alicia, Haddon and Duerden, 1896. 



Tissues very delicate. Tentacles elongate, more or less 

 retractile. Column long, beset nearly throughout with 

 pedunculated or sessile, compound or simple vesicles; sphincter 

 muscle feebly developed. Six pairs of perfect mesenteries, 

 two pairs of which are directives. 



The definition has been slightly modified, for purposes of 

 comparison with the genus Bunodeopsis, from that given in 

 1895. 



