GENEEA OF THE ALCYONAEIA STOLONIPEEA. 329 



•of the Chordata, with the exception of the Tunicata — the Craniata. Now the genera 

 Hahneia, Hartea, and Monoxema differ from all the other Alcyonaria in the remarkable 

 character that they remain solitary— they do not, in fact, form compound colonies by 

 gemmation. 



This feature surely, by itself, is quite sufficient to justify their separation into a 

 ■suborder. It is true there are many points in their anatomy and life-history that 

 require further investigation, but it is only misleading to group them, even temporarily, 

 with the Alcyonidse, Helioporidse, and other families with complicated growth and 

 gemmation. 



The Stolonifera, again, must be placed in a separate suborder, because in their 

 mode of budding and in their general anatomy they differ widely from the other 

 Alcyonaria. Anyone with the smallest experience of the group could distinguish 

 almost at a glance one of the Stolonifera. He could recognize it as such as easily as 

 he could recognize an Alcyonian, a Pennatulid, or a Gorgonian. There are, of course, 

 in all these suborders some genera that present difficulties, but the majority of them 

 may be quite easily located. 



I have very little to add to the remarks I made in two former papers in favour of 

 my proposition to classify TuUpora with the Stolonifera. I was not by any means 

 the first to point out the relations between this genus and Clavularia and Cornularia. 

 In 1834, de Blainville (i) placed these three genera together in one family, " Les 

 tubipores ; " and von Koch many years ago regarded Tuhipora as a very primitive form, 

 closely related to the Cornulariidse. The formation of new buds in Clavularia viridis, 

 from tubes connecting the polypes, similar to the condition which existed in the fossil 

 Syringopora, is a point which brings the genus Clavularia closer to Tuhipora, and this 

 may be used as an additional argument in favour of my method of classification. 



The Stolonifeka. 



The Suborder Stolonifera may be defined as follows : — Colonial Alcyonaria, with a 

 membranous or ribbon-like stolon. Mesogloea poorly developed. Polypes either 

 entirely free from one another, excepting at their bases, or connected by hoi-izontal 

 platforms {Tuhipora) or connecting-tubes [Clavularia viridis). Skeleton composed of 

 calcareous spicules, which may be joined together to form firm tubes [Tuhipora), free 

 from one another, or absent. In some cases the body-wall supported by a horny 

 secretion. 



The Stolonifera contain two families, the Tubiporidse and the Clavulariidse. To the 

 former belongs the genus Tuhipora alone, distinguished from all the other Stolonifera 

 Ijy the fact that the spicules join together to form a firm skeleton, and by the presence 

 of horizontal connecting platforms. To the latter belong four living genera, namely 

 Clavularia, Cornularia, Stereosoma, and Sympodium, and probably the fossil genus 

 Syringopora. 



