Hydrozoa and Polyzoa from the China Sea. 15 



The choice of this name is somewhat unfortunate, since, 

 although the Mediterranean forms are commensal with 

 sponges, the specimen from the China Sea has not formed an 

 alliance of this nature. Glaus ranks the Spongicolidse under 

 the order Tubulariaj, and brackets the latter with the Gymno- 

 blastea of Allman. But Allman defines the Gymnoblastea as 

 Hydroida destitute of a hydrotheca, whereas in the Spongi- 

 colidse the hydrotheca is a most conspicuous object. The mis- 

 interpretation probably arose from confusing the hydrotheca 

 with the hydrophyton. The sessile tubes (hydrothecse) of 

 Stephanoscyphus can scarcely be considered homologous with 

 the tubes of Tubularia. 



In its general appearance Stephanoscyphus Allmani 

 resembles a Calyptoblastic Hydroid of the Lafoea type. Prof. 

 Allman is of opinion that whether the ridges in the gastric 

 cavity have a lumen or not, the Spongicolidse should be 

 separated from the Gymnoblastea and Calyptoblastea. Prof. 

 Schulze concludes the paper embodying his researches on 

 Spongicola fistularis with the following observations * : — 



" It seems we can speak from abundant evidence that Spon- 

 gicola fistularis is the Scyphistoma form of an Acraspedote 

 Medusa ; nevertheless I repeat that we must first investigate 

 the whole generation-cycle before the true position of this 

 form can be determined." 



The specimen of Stephanoscyphus Allmani does not furnish 

 us with any further data which would help to satisfactorily 

 solve the problem of the systematic position of the Spongi- 

 colidse. Since there are objections to classing this family 

 under the Gymnoblastea and Calyptoblastea, it will be advis- 

 able to retain the order Thecomedusse (Allman), though this 

 has been objected to by Claus. 



Order THECOMEDUSSE, Allman. 



Family Spougicolidse, Claus. 



Genus Stephanoscyphus, Allman. 



Stephanoscyphus mirabilis, Allman. 



Stephanoscyphus simplex, Allman. 



Stephanoscyphus Allmani, n. sp. 



Genus Spongicola, F. E. Schulze. 

 Spongicola fistularis, F. E. Schulze. 



* Arch. mikr. Anat. Bd. xiii. p. 810. 



