NOTES ON A HITHERTO UNDESCRIBED HYDROID 

 FROM LONG ISLAND SOUND. 



CHAS. W. HARGITT. 1 



Early during the present year I received from Dr. Henry R. 

 Linville, of New York City, a small collection of hydroids for 

 examination, among which was found what clearly appears to be 

 a new species. The specimens were collected by Dr. Linville 

 during the previous August near East Marion, Long Island. In 

 a letter to the writer he describes the habitat as follows : 



" The species was found growing on rocks and piles under 

 ' Milldam Bridge,' west of Shelter Island. The bridge spans a 

 narrow creek which connects the Bay with a shallow salt-water 

 pond." 



In size and general features the hydroid resembles very much 

 Syncoryne nrirabilis, and was at first thought to be that species. 

 A more critical examination showed this to be more than doubt- 

 ful, as the number of tentacles, character of the hydranth, and 

 above all the character of gonophores, all indicated otherwise, 

 and a review of the accessible literature failed to afford any clue 

 to the identity of the species, though it seems clearly a member 

 of the genus above named as will be seen from the sketch. 



The medusa-buds are relatively large and grow in clusters of 

 from two to four upon the body of the hydranths usually close 

 among the tentacles. I regret that no free medusae were ob- 

 tained and that only an incomplete description of this organism 

 can be made. As will be observed from the figure the medusae 

 present the somewhat unusual condition of having at this stage 

 two of the tentacles quite well developed, though short and thick, 

 at opposite positions on the margin of the umbrella. The inter- 

 mediate pair can hardly be distinguished, being mere buds, and 

 it is impossible to say whether they later develop or not ; indeed, 

 it remains doubtful as to the later phases of development of almost 

 all the medusoid organs, though there can hardly be serious 

 doubt as to the ultimate freedom of the medusae, as there were 



1 Contributions from the Zoological Laboratory, Syracuse University. 



2 5 I 



