REPORT ON THE ACTINIARTA. 5 



correct to replace the name Anthea by the older Anemonia, and to range the genus 

 Comactis under it. On the other hand, my Comactii; jiagellifera is not identical with 

 Anemonia sulcata {Anthea cereus), and should therefore be referred to as Anemo7iia 

 Jlagellata. 



In the system of Andres the Bunodidas bear the closest relation to mv family 

 Tealidse. I was unacquainted with any typical Bunodes, and had supposed [cf. supra) 

 that they possessed acontia. This supposition is, according to Andres, incorrect ; and 

 the close relationship to Tealia is thus anew proven. Accordingly I withdraw the 

 name Tealidse in favour of the older designation Bunodidse ; but, now as formerly, the 

 endodermal sphincter must occupy the first place in the diagnosis. I relinquish, how- 

 ever, to future observers, as with the Paractidse, the decision whether forms with 

 smooth and with papillate body-wall should be separated from one another, or not. 



A last point of dispute with Angelo Andres lies in the fact that I reckon the 

 HalcampcB among the Ilyanthidse, while he erects them into a separate family. I will 

 not decide in this place either for the one opinion or the other, but will discuss merely 

 the point of view, which, as it seems to me, must be of importance for a decision. 



The more we have learnt in late years of the structure of these forms, the 

 more has it become apparent that Actiniae, which are rounded posteriorly and 

 devoid of pedal disc, exhibit in most cases a sort of ancestral character ; eminently 

 primitive forms are, above all others, the Edwardsite. Among such forms is the 

 genus Halcampa, from which again the genus Halcampjella is a transition to the 

 remaining Actiniae, in virtue of its numerous tentacles, and of its commencing to 

 exhibit accessory mesenteries. I opine that the genus Ilyanthus stands in close 

 relation to the Halcamp)ell(JB ; the regular increase of the mesenterial pairs by multiples 

 of six, which is commencing in the one case, is in the other clearly expressed, 

 as may be inferred from the presence of the numerous longitudinal furrows of the 

 bodjr-wall ; while the siphonoglyphes (ciliated grooves), the hinder edge of the body, 

 and the sphincter, are obviously of weak development, as among the Ilalcampoe. 

 Possibly a study of the mesenteries may yield iiutluT ])oiuts of agreement, but, 

 unfortunately, nothing is accurately known of these important features iu the structure 

 oi Ilyanthus; and so long as this is the case, no conclusion can be certain. If my 

 expectations be confirmed, a union cf the Ilalcampce with the Ilyauthid* would be 

 desirable ; the latter would form a transitional family placed at the top of the 

 liexactiniae, and bridging 1 ln^ gap between them :ind the Edwardsife ; while, as a 

 peculiar and aberrant branch of the Actinia;, would be ranged near them the 

 Siphonactidae, the forms possessing a conchula. 



All the forms of which we have as yet sjiokou possess the typical digitate 

 or tubular Actiuian tentacles, so arranged that one tentacle corresponds to each 

 radial chamber ; there are, however, two variations of this arraiigement. In the one, 



