XXXVII 



ON THE ANATOMY OF DIPHYES, AND ON THE UNITY 

 OF COMPOSITION OF THE DIPHYID^E AND PHY- 

 SOPHORID^, &c 



Linn. Soc. Froc, vol. it., 1855, //. 67-69 



Mr. Huxley, whose communication was written at sea, com- 

 mences his memoir by a brief abstract of previous investigations of 

 the family of Diphyidce, chiefly derived from the works of Lesson and 

 Will, in the absence of other books of reference. Of all the authors 

 referred to, he observes, there is not one except Will, who has given 

 any but a very superficial account of the family. So far even as the 

 natatorial organs are concerned, it is but rarely that a description is 

 sufficiently detailed and accurate not to fit two or three species with 

 equal ease, while the minute internal organs have fared still worse. 

 By all, the important fact of the gemmiparous generation of these 

 animals is overlooked ; by all, except Will, the demonstration of the 

 generative organs is omitted, and even he mentions with some doubt 

 the male sac only ; and lastly there is no attempt made by any of 

 them to trace the various organs through their development, or to 

 establish on the ground of anatomy the natural affinities of the 

 group. To these latter points, Mr. Huxley states, that his attention 

 has been chiefly directed during a voyage of some months through 

 the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, in the course of which he has 

 examined several genera both of Diphyida and PhysophoridcB, with 

 as much care and attention as the inconveniences of ship-board 

 would permit. The results are given under the following sectional 

 divisions, viz.: i. a description of the different species examined; 

 2. their anatomy ; and 3. 3^ com^pSiYison o( DiphyidcsKwd Physophoridce. 

 Under the first head Mr. Huxley describes four species of Diphyes,,^ 



