KUNGL. SV. VET: AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR... BAND 51. N:o |l. 11 
too, an increased direct connection between these. Here again distinct communication 
is absent, large canals do not exist, probably in consequence of a specially rich spicule- 
development in the interior of the coenenchym. Lower down in the colony, where the 
spicules are less prominent, the endodermal cell-strings are more developed. The coelen- 
terons of the siphonozooids are often directly connected with those of the autozooids. 
Lower down in the shaft, where the autozooids draw closer to each other, a direct con- 
nection, too, may esist between them, but not very frequently. The reasons for this 
direct connection in the case of Anthomastus are to be found in the crowding together of 
the numerous siphonozooids and the few large autozooids, and the rich armature in the 
inner coenenchym. Compare MOSELEY (1875), KUKENTHAL (1910), and CYLKOWSKI (1911). 
Although it does not necessarily follow from the facts mentioned above that all 
members of the sub-family of Alcyonivinae are provided with a system of direct canals, 
it is, nevertheless, obvious that the existence of a canal system is not sufficient to serve 
as a distinguishing characteristic. The indirect canal system, in the case of the fam. 
Alcyoniidae, is the original one, from which the direct has developed. It is, however, 
obvious that the two systems are connected with each other. TItis not my intention here 
to investigate more closely the systematic treatment of the fam. Alcyoniidae, but what 
has been pointed out here shows the weakness of the existing systematization. 
In the systematic treatment of the following families, too, the understanding of 
the canal system plays a prominent part. 
Within the fam. Nephthyridae, I have examined the genus Gersemia MARENZ. (= 
Funephthyae alcyoniformes KÖKENTHAL) and the genus Hunephthya VERRILL (= Hu- 
nephthyae nephthyiformes KÖKENTHAL). According to KUKENTHAL (1906), Eunephthya 
VERRILL (sensu KÖUKENTHAL) and Gersemia MARENZ. (sensu KUKENTHAL) with re- 
gard to its canal system, constitutes a direct development of the fam. Alcyoniidae. "The 
great development of the solenia of the latter and the vigorous coenenchym has been 
succeeded within these genera by a powerful reduction in the coenenchym of the branches 
and the trunk, and has followed the outer change in trunk and branches. KUKENTHAL 
(1906, p. 93) remarks: »Das in Mesoderm liegende Netzwerk entodermale Kanäle und 
Stränge ist zwar teilweise noch vorhanden (i. e. within the fam. Nephthyidae) geht aber 
mit der durch den schlanken, baumförmigen Aufbau verursachten Verringerung des 
Coenenchym allmählichen Verschwinden entgegen und fehlt den meisten Gattungen, 
dafär ist eine direkte Verbindung der Gastralräume vorhanden, in dem die bis zur Basis 
Gastralräume der primären Polypen mit den weniger tief hinabziehenden der später ent- 
stehenden Polypen durch kurze Röhren direct verbunden sind», and he states in another 
connection (p. 101): 
»Mit dieser Differenzierung zu schlanken baumförmigen, stark verzweigten Kolo- 
nien geht Hand in Hand eine Verminderung des Coenenchym der Äste und des Stam- 
mes und damit ein allmähliches Verschwinden des entodermalen Netzwerkes. Das lässt 
sich sehr schön innerhalb der Gattungen Hunephthya [sensu KÖKENTHAL] und Gersemia 
[sensu KÖKENTHAL] beobachten. Bei letzterer Gattung finden sich bereits Formen, 
bei denen die Gastralräume nur durch diänne Lamellen voneinander getrennt sind. 
Statt des Netzwerkes treten direkte Verbindungen der Gastralräume auf». 
