OBELIA GELATINOSA. 153 



0. gelatinosa is a well-marked species ; it attains a 

 height of 8 or 10 inches. A fine specimen procured at 

 Ex mouth was about 6 inches high, and consisted of an 

 exquisite cluster of as many as 10 shoots. 



The branches, which are divided into a multitude of 

 extremely delicate ramules, are of a tender, pellucid white- 

 ness, with the exception of the basal portion, and contrast 

 with the thick and dark-coloured composite stem ; they 

 occur in pairs, which originate close together on the stem, 

 but immediately diverge ("furcts in modum ") and spread 

 out on each side. They are long in the lower portion and 

 middle of the stem, drooping slightly, and diminish in size 

 above, giving a very elegant form to the shoots. 



A single calycle commonly springs from the fork formed 

 by the dichotomous division of the branchlets. The pedi- 

 cels of the terminal calycles are of unusual length, ringed 

 at the top and bottom and smooth between. 



Hob. Between tide-marks ; not common. Exmouth 

 (T. H.) : Cornwall (C. W. P.) : " very abundant on some 

 points of the Solway at low- water mark on a stony bottom JJ 

 (Sir W. Jardine) : the Tay, towards Flisk beach, in brack- 

 ish water (Fleming) : Shetland (Dr. Cohlstream) : Liverpool 



mens of 0. gelatinosa received from Fleming, and had assured himself that 

 they were really identical with Pallas's zoophyte. Kirchenpauer, in his 

 interesting work entitled ' Die Seetonnen der Elbmimdung ' suggests that 

 Fleming may have had before him the form which I have named L.flcxuosa, 

 and that Milne-Edwards should have the credit of first perceiving its 

 claim to specific rank. In this case his name (Flemingii) would supersede 

 flcxuosa. But Fleming's description could not apply to the latter form ; so 

 that, even if we had not Alder's unimpeachable testimony, the supposition 

 would be untenable. 



The Campanularia gelatinosa of Van Beneden's Memoire has no right 

 to its name. It is quite distinct from the present species, and is probably the 

 S. longissima of Pallas. Amongst American authors, Leidy, Stimpson, and 

 Gould have applied the name to species which differ, I believe, from the 

 one to which it properly belongs. 



