ANTHOMEDUS^E SLABBEIIIA. 75 



medusae. On the other hand, Browne found the gonads upon the manubrium, arranged in 

 2 or more isolated ring-like swellings. In 1853 Forbes and Goodsir describe another species 

 of Slabberia, S. catenata, which lacks glands upon its radial-canals, although Forbes states that 

 they exist but are "scarcely to be traced." 



In 1857 McCrady described a medusa under the name Dipurena strangulata, and in this 

 the 4 radial-canals are simple, but the manubrium is tubular and encircled by 2 separated, 

 ring-like gonads. 



It is evident that Slabberia of Forbes is similar in all respects to Dipurena, excepting for 

 the problematical swellings on the radial-canals. It seems best to drop Dipurena and retain 

 the older name Slabberia. Swellings similar to those on the radial-canals of S. halterata are 

 seen on the radial-canals ot other Anthomedusae, such as Lymnorea alexandri and Dysmor- 

 phosa dubta. In L. alexandri the swellings are glandular and they are probably of similar 

 function in the Slabberia ot Forbes. Hartlaub (1907), however, states that these swellings are 

 gonads which develop only in old medusae. He does not state, however, that he sectioned the 

 medusa, and the matter appears to me to be still in doubt. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



Codonidae in which the manubrium is tubular and is encircled by two or more separated 

 collar-like gonads. In other respects the medusa resembles Sarsia. The 4 radial-canals are 

 simple and without gonads. The hydroid is Syncoryne. 



In all known species of Slabberia each of the 4 tentacles terminates in one or more knob- 

 like clusters of nematocysts. 



Haeckel, 1879, p. 26, instituted the genus Bathycodon for a medusa resembling Dipurena, 

 but with short, blindly-ending diverticula upon its radial-canals. We define Slabberia as 

 equivalent to Dipurena+Bathycodon as defined in Haeckel's System. 



Haeckel suppresses the generic name Slabberia on the ground that it was incorrectly 

 defined by Forbes, but if we are to retain only the correctly defined genera we must at once 

 drop nearly all of those defined previous to 1850, and even the majority of modern generic 

 names must vanish! As knowledge increases it appears to me far less confusing to amend and 

 retain old names rather than to drop them and substitute unfamiliar designations for familiar 

 objects. 



Hartlaub, 1907, would distinguish Purena, with nettle-warts (not rings) upon the tentacles, 

 whereas Slabberia he would confine to include medusae having tentacles ringed with nema- 

 tocysts. The distinction between broken rings ("warts") and complete rings appears to me to 

 be too slight to be of generic value, but is an important specific distinction. 



Slabberia halterata Forbes. 



Slabberia halterata, FORBES, 1846, Annals, and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. 18, p. 286; 1848, British Naked-eyed Medusae, p. 53, plate 



6, fig. i. AGASSIZ, L., 1862, Cont. Nat. Hist. U. S., vol. 4, p. 341. 

 Dipurena halterata, HAECKEL, 1879, Syst. der Medusen, p. 24. 

 Dipurena halterata, BROWNE, 1896, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 473; 1897, Ibid., p. 816; 1898, plate 49, figs. 2-iA. BEDOT, 



1905, Revue Suisse de Zool., tome 13, p. 133 (citation of literature 1846-49). 

 Slabberia halterata, HART-HUB, 1907, Nordisches Plankton, Nr. 12, p. 64, figs. 61, 62. 



Bell ellipsoidal, 8 mm. high, 6 mm. wide, with thick walls. Bell cavity about three-fourths 

 as deep as the height of the bell. 4 slender tentacles with well-developed basal bulbs, each with 

 an abaxial, ectodermal ocellus. Each tentacle terminates in a large, elongate, swollen tip with 

 one or two complete rings of nematocysts above it. 4 radial-canals straight and narrow, and 

 each exhibits I or 2 small (glandular?) swellings (gonads?) at about one-third the distance 

 between the inner apex of the bell-cavity and the margin. Hartlaub, 1907, believes these 

 swellings to be true gonads which become mature only in old medusae. 



The stomach-cavity extends upward a short distance above the base of the manubrium 

 into the gelatinous substance of the apex of the bell. 



The manubrium is 4 to 7 times as long as the radius of the bell. It is slender and tubular 

 and there is a small, spindle-shaped stomach near its distal end. The mouth is at the end of a 

 short, conical neck and is a simple, round opening. 



