54 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
tlie corresponding stage of many Actiniae is that the sulcular directives, 
although they reach the oesophagus, are devoid of mesenterial filaments. 
Alternating with the mesenteries are large ridge-like vesicular out- 
growths from the endoderm, into which the endoderm of the mesenteries 
passes gradually. At the angles between the mesenteries and the ridges 
there are numerous Zooxanthellae. It is these Algae that give rise to 
the twelve pairs of dark longitudinal lines which are so conspicuous in 
the living larvae. The mesogloea is an apparently homogeneous jelly- 
like substance, which is mainly, if not altogether, endodermal in 
origin. 
The ectoderm of the body- wall forms at the aboral end of the body a 
disk-like patch of deep closely-set cells, and forms the seat of attach- 
ment of the sessile larva ; in the column there is, in addition to and 
beneath the ordinary narrow cells, a deeper granular or “ nervous ” layer, 
and there is an immense number of thread-cells. At the oral apex the 
granular layer becomes so much thickened as to practically constitute the 
whole of the ectoderm. It seems probable that the mesenterial filaments 
are derived from the ectoderm of the oesophagus. In the first pair of 
mesenteries the ectoderm of the stomatodseum applies itself directly to 
the body-wall, and, pushing aside the endoderm, comes into contact 
with the basement membrane of the ectoderm of the column. The 
succeeding mesenteries, on the other hand, first project from the body- 
wall, come into contact with the stomatodseum from above downward, 
and push before them a portion of the reflected ectoderm which has 
grown round the free end of the stomatodseum and up its coelenterio 
surface. 
New Species of Epizoanthus from the Azores.* — Dr. E. Jourdan 
describes an Epizoanthus , remarkable for its size, which he calls E. 
Hirondellei ; it is most nearly allied to E. paguriphilus. The polyp may 
measure 0*05 cm. by 0*03 cm. Eight polyps unite to form a colony, 
and are completely imbedded in the coenenchym. It was taken at a 
depth of 1266 metres near the Azores, and the inhabitant of the shell 
was Pagurus pilosimanus or the species which lives with E. paguriphilus. 
Sense of Taste in Sea Anemones.! — Dr. W. Nagel has shown by 
numerous experiments that species of Adamsia , Actinia , Aiptasia , 
Heliactis , Anemonia , and Cerianthus have a sense of taste in the tentacles. 
These organs are also sensitive to influences of touch and temperature, 
and are therefore what the author calls Wechselsinnesorgane. 
Historical Note as to Theories of Coral Reefs. :J — Dr. C. Ph. Sluiter 
points out that the essay on coral islands contained in Kotzebue’s book 
of travels and usually credited to Chamisso was the work of Eschscholtz, 
while Chamisso’s own views were entirely different, and not of any 
value. 
Structure and Development of Cunina Buds.§ — Dr. O. Maas begins 
with an account of the varied opinions which have been held in regard 
to the nature and relations of Cunina. He proceeds to describe a stock 
* Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xvi. (1892) pp. 269-71. 
t Zool. Anzeig., xv. (1892) pp. 334-8. J Tom. cit., pp. 326-7. 
§ Zool. Jahrb., v. (1892) pp. 271-300 (2 pis.). 
