HiCKSON — Notes on a Small Collection of Hydrocorallince. 497 



to travellers who, like Professor Haddon, take the trouble to pre- 

 serve a few specimens in alcohol for this part of their examination. 



Specimens preserved quite roughly by simple immersion in 

 alcohol have their value, and afford an insight into many characters 

 that are quite lost in dried specimens. Specimens that are pre- 

 served, as those are that are now in my hands, with considerable 

 care and patience, so that they will bear the most elaborate histo- 

 logical treatment, with excellent results, more than twelve months 

 after their original capture, are indeed precious, as being the only 

 specimens upon which a complete knowledge of the species can be 

 founded. 



In writing in this vein I am but repeating the opinions of my 

 late master and respected friend. Professor Moseley, whose 

 lamentable death last November robbed us of one of the most 

 vigorous investigators and brilliant writers in this branch of 

 zoology. 



The demonstration of the hydroid affinities of the Hydro- 

 corallinse was in itself an achievement of the highest importance to 

 scientific knowledge, but when we regard the enormous amount of 

 detailed work on the soft parts of these corals which was done by 

 Moseley without the assistance of our modern, rapid and precise 

 methods of investigation, we cannot fail to admire his wonderful 

 skill and unflagging perseverance. 



Moseley was not only the first but the only naturalist of his 

 time who examined and described the anatomy of the Hydro- 

 corallinse, and his name will always remain imperishably connected 

 with the investigation of the group. 



As an old pupil and friend of Professor Moseley during his 

 unfortunately brief tenure of the Linacre Professorship at Oxford, 

 I fully acknowledge that if there be any merit in the investigations 

 that I have been able to make in the natural history of this group 

 of corals, it is due to the stimulus of his teaching, his encourage- 

 ment, and extremely original suggestions. 



STYLASTER GRACILIS (Edwards and Haime). 



Stylaster gracilis : Milne-Edwards and Jules Haime. Ann. des 

 Sci. Nat. 3rd series. Vol. xiii. p. 98, Plate iii., fig. 4. 



The specimen sent to me is a small branch 35 mm. in length, 

 with a branchlet springing from it at about 15 mm. from its 



