GENUS — ALEPAS. J 59 



form of a narrow brush, or consisting only of a single 

 pair with two or three minute, intermediate, and lateral 

 marginal spines. The anterior ramus of the second cirrus 

 is thicker, and more thickly clothed with spines than is 

 the posterior ramus : this latter ramus, however, and both 

 rami of the third cirrus, are rather more thickly clothed 

 with spines than are the three posterior pair. The unique 

 case in A. cornida of the inner rami of the fifth and sixth 

 cirri being rudimentary (PI. X, fig. 28) will be minutely 

 described under that species. 



Caudal Appendages, thin, tapering, multi- articulate, 

 about as long as the pedicels of the sixth cirrus. 



Stomach. — The oesophagus runs in a somewhat sinuous 

 course, and enters the top of the stomach obliquely. There 

 are no caeca. The biliary envelope presents a reticulated 

 structure, instead of the usual longitudinal folds. 



Generative System. — The penis is hairy, not very long, 

 and ringed or articulated in an unusually plain manner ; 

 the space between each ring being about one fourth of the 

 diameter of the penis : the unarticulated basal portion or 

 support is here remarkably long. The vesicular seminales 

 are long, tortuous, and enter the prosoma. The ovarian 

 tubes are of wide diameter : in A. comuta they surround 

 the whole capitulum. The ovigerous fraena are small, con- 

 stricted at the base, and square on the free margin, which 

 is studded with minute glandular beads, borne on the finest 

 footstalks. 



Range. — Southern shores of England, Mediterranean, Atlantic, West 

 Indies, New Zealand, attached to various objects. A. parasita has been 

 always taken on Medusae.* 



Affinities. — This genus differs from all, except Anelasma, 

 in the manner in which the striae-less muscles of the pe- 

 duncle run up and surround the capitulum, and likewise 



* It appears that Solander (Dillwyn Des. Cat., vol. i, p. 34) observed a 

 species of this genus adhering to a Medusa on the coast of Brazil. Mr. 

 Cocks informs me that an Alepas, apparently A. parasita, has been cast on 

 shore near Ealmouth, attached to a Cyaneea'; and that two other specimens 

 adhered to the bottom of a vessel arriving at that port from Odessa. 



