ME. H. N. MOSELEY ON THE 
122 
most persistent in the zooicls. Apparently, however, development in Alcyonarians 
follows a different course. 
In Halysceptrum, the development of which has been examined by Kolliker, the 
eight mesenteries appear from the very first. In Kalliphobe (Busch), one of the 
Edwardsice, according to Metschnikoff, the larva has, in its earliest stage, eight 
tentacles and two mesenterial filaments. 
The peculiarities presented by the Stylasteridse have struck many observers. M. -Ed- 
wards and Haime placed these corals (Stylasteracea) under the Oculinidse. Gray, 
however, established a family (Sty last eridse) for the genus Stylaster alone. Pourtales, 
who in his ‘Deep-Sea Corals’ dwells upon the many peculiarities of the corallum of 
this family, places under it the genera Allopora ,. Stylaster , Distichopora, Oryptohelia *, 
Lepidopora , and Errina. The peculiarities in the structure of the soft parts, and the 
relations of the tentacles to the septa, described in this paper as occurring in a Stylaster 
and a Cryptolielia , and the similar facts observed by Sars in the genus Allopora, strengthen 
the facts brought forward by Pourtales, with regard to the coralla, in a very potent 
manner. I hope to make a close study of the structure of Stylaster. The apparent 
absence of mesenteries is most remarkable, and a similar condition appears to occur 
also in Millepora. The number of tentacles and septa in the Stylasteridae seems hardly 
to follow the usual hexameral law. In the species of Stylaster examined by me there 
are invariably twenty-two septa and twenty-two tentacles. In Stylaster erubescens, 
Pourtales describes the septa as being in number from nine to twelve, most frequently 
eleven. In Allopora miniata the septa are from seven to ten, generally eight. Cryp- 
tohelia has commonly sixteen. 
With regard to the affinities of the Milleporidse, no certain conclusion can be arrived 
at from the few facts yet ascertained. I hope to obtain specimens at Hawaii in sexually 
mature condition f. 
H.M.S. ‘ Challenger,’ North Pacific. 
21st July, 1875. 
* Pourtales has remarked that the genus Endohclia of M. -Edwards and Haime appears indistinguishable 
from the genus Cryptolielia of the same authors. Endohelia is founded on a Japanese species. The ‘Challenger 
dredged a coral certainly not generically distinguishable from Cryptolielia off the coast of Japan. 
f Postscript. — Since the above was written I have been able to refer at Honolulu to Prof. Lacaze- 
Ddthiers’s * Histoire Naturelle du Corail.’ I therefore add a few notes. 
In Gorallium the contracted polyp presents externally at the surface eight lobes coloured red. When the 
polyp is expanded, these lobes form a coloured cup with eight dentations at its margin, which surrounds the 
lower part of the expanded colourless polyp (see pi. 2 of Prof. Lacaze-Duthiers’s work). The eight lobes 
described as closing the mouth of the calicle in the contracted polyp of Heliopora probably occupy a similar 
position, and have a similar appearance in the expanded condition of the polyp. 
In Gorallium the pinnae or barbules of the tentacles are all severally introverted (l. c. p. 57), as well as the 
tentacles themselves. In Hdioporci this appears not to be the case. In the hard tissue of Gorallium boring- 
vegetable parasites occur, as observed in Millepora and Pocillopora. 
I have further been able to refer to Daxa’s great work on Corals in the splendid collection of scientific works 
in the Government Library at Honolulu, and to other works relating to Heliopora. 
