351 
denfeld, Ph.D. The Family of the Versuridae, comprising large Rhizo- 
stomous Medusae, is comparatively rare in the Northern Hemisphere. The 
development has only quite recently been described by Claus, who studied 
the Mediterranean Cotilorfiza, Dr. Lendenfeld has been successful in obtain- 
ing several young stages of the spotted brown blubber which he has named 
Stilorhiza punctata, and he has found its development very different from 
anything that has been observed hitherto. The eight marginal bodies (organs 
of sense) in the principal radii of the first and second order exist in the young 
larva. But besides these the larva possesses a greater number of similar 
marginal bodies which become less in number with increasing age. Firstly 
there are 24, then 16, and finally 8. But the umbrella margin retains the 
power of producing marginal bodies; and if after an injury of the margin 
new margin-flaps are formed, marginal bodies are also produced between 
them. The character of the embryonic tissue to form marginal bodies be- 
tween all flaps, again makes its appearance if a new formation of the um- 
brella margin takes place. — 4. A Monograph of the Australian Sponges. 
Part II. By R. von Lendenfeld, Ph.D. A general outline of the Mor- 
phology and Physiology of the Sponges is given in this paper, and the classi- 
fication to be used in the systematic part of the work is indicated. It is a 
condensed abstract of our present knowledge on the subject, with a few re- 
ferences concerning the main points. The classification differs somewhat 
from that of recent authors, and is arranged so as to suit the Australian 
sponges, as well as the European ones. It became necessary, therefore, as 
no one had studied the Australian sponges before, to reconstruct the classi- 
fication. The sponges are considered as Metazoa, and forming a Class in the 
type Coelenterata. They are classified as follows: — (I.) — Gastraeadae 
(hypothetical, not forming colonies and without skeleton). I. — Calcispon- 
giae (calcareous skeleton). II. — Myxospongiae (no skeleton, canal system 
much branched, cilated chambers, sometimes scattered silicious bodies). 
III. — Ceraospongiae (skeleton composed of horny fibre, sometimes with 
scattered silicious bodies outside the fibres). IV. — Monacticerae (with Mon- 
actinellid spicules within the fibres and often with silicious bodies scattered 
through the ground substance). V.— Hyalospongiae (originally without a horny 
skeleton. Skeleton consisting of silicious spicules with four or six axes). VI. 
— Monactihyalae (with a skeleton composed of Monactinellid spicules, origi- 
nally with a horny skeleton). — 5. The Hydromedusae of Australia. Part II. 
By R. von Lendenfeld, Ph.D. According to the principles set forth in 
part I, of this paper, the Hydromedusae are classified in a new manner, and 
the Australian representatives of the first four families in this system are de- 
scribed or referred to. The paper contains descriptions of several new and 
interesting forms, and in every case an abstract of everything known on the 
histology of every species is given with references. The most interesting of 
the new forms is Eudendrium generale, the male polypostyles of which show 
a great similarity to Medusae. They possess four aboral tentacles in the 
principal radii, and on these the spermatozoa reach maturity. These tenta- 
cular appendages are therefore homologous to the Radial Canals of the Cra- 
spedote Medusae. Some deductions are drawn herefrom, and the homology 
of the parts in Medusae and Polypes described differently to the views ex- 
pressed by Allman and others. The Umbrella is not homologous to a web 
between the tentacles of the mouth, but between the generative tentacular 
