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MR. H. N. MOSELEY ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE STYLASTERLDJ2. 
certain as to the true nature of Allopora, although he considered there were strong 
grounds for removing it from amongst the Anthozoa : — 
“ Af det allerede anf({)rte synes imidlertid med sikkerhed at fremgaa, at vi her 
have for os en Dyreform der i mange vsesentlige Punkter afviger fra Anthozoerne 
hvortil den maaske slet ikke engang kan henfi|>res.” 
Methods. 
A brief examination of some of the soft structures of certain of the Stylasteridse 
was made while they were in the fresh condition, and especially of the various 
elements of Sporadopora, dichotoma and of the female gonophores of Cryptohelia; 
but since the trawl-net by which most of the specimens available for examination 
were obtained came up late in the day, very little unfortunately was able to be done 
in this way. 
Portions of the corals were preserved by means of chromic acid, osmic acid, absolute 
alcohol, and glycerine, and they were subsequently decalcified and examined in the 
usual manner by means of sections. In cutting the sections, a method described 
by Milchalkovics ‘ Arch, fur mikroskopische Anatomic,’ ii. Bd. 3 tes Hft., p. 386, 
was adopted and found to yield most successful results. The method is especially 
valuable for cutting fine sections of structures, the parts of which are loosely held 
together, and where it is desirable to maintain the exact relations in position of parts 
which in the sections otherwise become entirely disconnected from one another. A 
strong jelly composed of equal parts of glycerine and gelatine is used as an imbedding 
substance. It permeates the tissues and takes the place of the hard calcareous 
supporting structures which have been removed by the acid. The sections are 
mounted in glycerine, and the imbedding substance which is left in situ in the 
sections becomes perfectly transparent ; in fact, almost invisible in this fluid. 
I now proceed to a detailed description of the structure of the several genera of 
the Stylasteridse. 
Each of the members of the family is composed of hard inert calcareous parts, 
or “ corallum,” and soft living structures. In the case of each genus the structure of 
the hard parts will be first treated of, and then that of the soft parts. The latter 
consists of coenosarc, zooicls, and gonophores, and will be described under these 
several headings in each case. A full description of all details will be given in 
the case of Sporadopora, which will be first accounted for, and in the cases of 
the other genera only those points in which they differ from it will be dwelt upon. 
Terms. 
In all Stylasteridse two forms of zooids are present. One form has a mouth and 
gastric cavity, the other is devoid of these and has a purely tentacular function. 
