PREFACE. 
The Author’s Report on Zoophytes was published by the Government 
in the year 1846. It consists of a volume of text of 750 pages quarto, 
and a colored Atlas of 61 plates folio. The edition issued amounted to 
200 copies, only 100 having been ordered by Congress. The edition on 
sale having been exhausted, the author here issues a smaller volume con- 
taining the brief descriptions of the species in the work, to accompany 
complete copies of the Atlas. This volume includes also the notices of 
the localities of the species given in the original work, together with a 
condensed statement of synonyms and references to other authors. All 
known species of living zoophytes of the Actinoid and Alcyonoid groups 
up to the date of publication of the Report are contained in the original 
work, and only those are included in this Synopsis of the Report. The 
Hydroids have since then been shown to be related rather to the 
Acalephs than Polyps. The following statements are cited from its 
Preface. 
“The cruise of the Exploring Expedition afforded unusual opportunities 
for the study of Coral Zoophytes. Nearly all the groups of islands west 
of the latitude of the New Hebrides, both north and south of the equa- 
