Mr. .1. ]']. PiuMilcn on the. freniis Alicia. 21.') 



vosicks. Ih'iice arose the nece.s.sity of exaiiiiiiiii^ if the 

 various species of Alicia, to which Cystiactis bears some 

 external resemblance, agreed with it or the typical Hunodidae. 

 The sphincter of A. coslic is shown on PI. IX. fig. 1, from 

 which it will be seen that it is a somewhat weakly developed, 

 but greatly elongated, ditfiise endoderinal muscle. A section 

 through a vesicle is shown in lig. 2, exhibiting a hollow 

 structure. JSince our Australian form and A. costce agree in 

 such an important essential as the sphincter, and also in the 

 nature of the outgrowths on the column, it becomes necessary 

 that a new family should be established for their reception 

 and others closely allied to them, as they are obviously 

 difterent from any of those at present described. I propose 

 tlie family name Aliciidas, after the genus Alicia, with the 

 following characters : — 



Fan). Aliciidae. 



Hexactinje with a large flat contractile base. Tentacles 

 simple, cylindrical, and entacma30us. Column with simpli; 

 or complex hollow processes or vesicles over the greater part 

 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. 



The family, as thus defined, includes the genera Alicia 

 and Cystiactis, and possibly others, such as Bunodeopsis, &c. 



The relationships of the Actiniaria are still in a very un- 

 satisfactory condition, and will be .so until a greater number 

 have been examined anatomically. It is therefore somewhat 

 premature to discuss the ))osition of the Aliciidae. External 

 characters alone would place them near the I^unodida3 ; but 

 they are now shown to be separated by such an important 

 character as that of the sphincter muscle. 



The genus Gystiactis will be more fully discussed in a 

 paper shortly to be publisheil by the Royal Dublin Society. 



Genus Alicia. 



'J'issues very delicate. Tentacles elongated, more or less 

 retractile. Column with the distal vesicles pedunculated 

 and much divided, the ])roximal vesicles simpler and more or 

 less sessile. Sj)hincter muscle feebly developed. ^lesentcries 

 not very numerous ; two pair.'^ of directive mesenteries. 



Should A. mirabilis, Johns,, when histologieally examined, 

 be found to differ fundamental!}' from the foregoing definition, 



