Joseph Reay Greene

“ It is usual to consider the Cœlentera (with or without the sponges) as a primary group, or sub-kingdom, of animals; and a high authority has stated that the institution of this group has been the greatest improvement in the arrangement of the animal kingdom effected since the time of Cuvier. But, should we so interpret the results of certain recent embryological inquiries as to throw the Cœlentera into one great division along with all the higher invertebrates, such a mode of treatment would reduce Cœlentera to the rank of a province. ”

“ The Cœlentera exhibit, even more perfectly than the echinoderms, a radiated arrangement of their parts, and, to a lesser degree, have this primitive disposition controlled by a superinduced bilateral symmetry. On the other hand the affinities of cœlenterates to worms, save through the echinoderms, are very obscure. [7]
Of animals inferior to the Cœlentera in complexity of structure their nearest reputed allies are the Infusoria. ”

“ The wall of the body in the Cœlentera has the same fundamental composition as among the higher animals, and exhibits various degrees of differentiation. [6] Inner and outer layers of epithelial tissue, splinted by connective tissue (in close relation with which we usually find muscular fibres) , are always developed. ”