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VI. 



JAMAICAN ACTINIARIA. Part II.— STICHODACTYLINAE AND ZOANTHE^E. 



By J. E. DUERDEN, Assoc. R. C. Sc. (Lond.), Curator of the Museum of the Institute 

 of Jamaica. 



(Plates X. to XV.) 

 [Bead December 21, 1898.] 



The first instalment of this series (1898) was limited to the Zoan these occurring 

 in the shallow waters around Jamaica, and ten species are described therein. As 

 a result of trawling recently carried on over some of the deeper regions of the 

 Caribbean Sea three other species of the same order, all belonging to the one 

 genus Parazoanthus, have been procured. The account of these is included at the 

 end of the present contribution. 



This second communication describes seven species belonging to the mainly 

 tropical order Stichodactylinae. Several have already been anatomically studied 

 and described by Professor M c Murrich in his " Actiniaria of the Bahamas " (1889) ; 

 and it is interesting to compare the many points of resemblance and difference as 

 revealing the features of stability or of variation within the same form. 



When the paper was practically completed I received the extremely valuable 

 memoir by Professor A. C. Haddon, " The Actiniaria of Torres Straits " (1898), in 

 which, besides describing fifty-five -species from that particular locality, the author 

 attempts a classificatory revision of the whole group. 



Torres Straits has proved itself extremely rich in Stichodactylinae. In so far 

 as my results agree with those of Professor Haddon, I have been enabled to 

 bring the present contribution into harmony with his conclusions. 



Mention must also be made of Dr. Casimir P. Kwietniewski's "Actiniaria 

 von Ambon und Thursday Island " (1898), an important paper also devoted to 

 tropical Actinias, published while Haddon's memoir was going through the press, 

 and therefore not referred to by him. 



As it is not likely that Professor Haddon will, for some time, conduct other such 

 elaborate investigations in this branch of zoology, he has most generously placed 

 at my disposal his microscopic preparations of species already described by him, 

 and has also lent me portions of his extensive collection of Actinozoan literature, 

 favours specialty appreciated in such an isolated position. For these, and for other 

 encouraging help, I here beg to express my sincerest gratitude. 



IfiANS. EOT. DUB. SOC, N.S. VOL. VEE., PAB.T VI. X 



