202 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
region passing obliquely outwards and downwards from the gastro- 
vascular cavity, and equal in number to the proximal tentacles. No 
external pores were seen, but the canals probably correspond to those in 
AmaJthsea vardoensis described by Loman. The canals in the stalk, 
described by Wrigbt and Allman, are separated by true septa, but these 
are not regarded as of any phylogenetic importance. In regard to the 
oogenesis, the author differs from Doflein ; the ovum does not arise from 
a syncytium of equivalent cells in which the best nucleus — primum inter 
pares — becomes the germinal vesicle ; the ovarian cells are previously 
differentiated into ova and nutritive cells. The relationships of the 
Tubularidre are thus indicated : — 
Hypocodonkhe Tubular idee 
Monocaulidee 
! Corymorphkke 
Hydroida 
Recent Progress in the Study of Graptolites.* — Dr. R. Ruedemann 
gives a useful synopsis of recent work in which he has himself had an 
important share. “ Whatever the relations of the graptolites may be, it 
certainly is necessary for the understanding of the life-history of the indi- 
viduals of the colonies to compare the graptolites with some class of 
living animals, and there is undoubtedly no other class available but the 
order of Campanularise. It also should not be forgotten that the virgula 
which always has been considered as constituting one of the principal 
differences between graptolites and campanularians, has been proved to 
be comparable to the hydrocaulus of the first theca of the Campanulariee.’* 
“ It is highly probable that many graptolites were indeed pseudo- 
planktonic, while some may even have gone further and have become free- 
floating or planktonic, and others are known to have been sessile at 
the bottom.” 
Porifera. 
Spongillids of Lago di Garda.j — Sig. A. Garbini has found four 
Spongillidae in this locality — Euspongilla lacustris Liebk., Ephydatia 
fluviatilis Liebk., Ephydatia robustci Potts, and Carterius tubisperma 
Potts. The particular interest of this note is that the two last-named 
species are new to Europe. 
* Amer. Nauralist, xxxii. (1898) pp. 1-16 (28 figs.), 
t Zool. Anzeig., xx. (1897) pp. 477-8. 
