294 Zoological Society. 



Brachiopoda are with the Polyzoa. As in the Polyzoa, the flexure of 

 the intestine is neural, and they take a very natural position among 

 the neural mollusks between the Polyzoa on the one hand, and the 

 Lamellibranchs and Pteropoda on the other. 



The arms of the Brachiopoda may be compared with those of the 

 Lophophore Polyzoa, and if it turns out that the so-called hearts 

 are not such organs, one difference will be removed. 



In conclusion, I may repeat what I have elsewhere adverted to, 

 that though the difference between the cell of a Polyzoon and the 

 shell of a Terebratula appears wide enough, yet the resemblance be- 

 tween the latter with its muscles and the Avicularium of a Polyzoon, 

 is exceedingly close and striking. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



November 25, 1851. — W.J. Broderip, Esq., F.R.S., Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



On a species of ^Eciugrea inhabiting the British Seas. 

 By Prof. Edward Forbes, F.R.S. 



In the first volume of the * "Wernerian Memoirs ' a " Medusa cequo- 

 rea" is mentioned by Prof. Jameson as an inhabitant of the seas of the 

 north of Scotland, and in the * History of British Animals ' by Dr. 

 Fleming, the name " Geryonia cequorea''' is used to designate it. As no 

 description or figure was ever published of this creature, and as the 

 diagnosis of the ^* Medusa " to which Linnaeus applied the name of 

 *^ cequorea^' was too brief for identification, it is possible that some 

 one out of several Acalephse inhabiting our seas might have been in- 

 tended. 



It is also possible, however, that a true ^^quorea had been seen, 

 for there is a most beautiful species of this genus an inhabitant of the 

 Scottish seas. I met with it for the first time in August 1850, when 

 exploring the Minch (the channel between the outer Hebrides and 

 Skye) in company with Mr. MacAndrew and Prof. Goodsir, with the 

 advantages of the appliances for natural-history research with which 

 Mr. Macx\ndrew has furnished his yacht, the Naiad. As there is 

 neither figure nor description of any British Mquorea to be found, 

 and as considerable obscurity hangs around the Atlantic species of 

 the genus, I have drawn up the following notice. 



A number of individuals were observed : they were swimming near 

 the surface of the sea on a very calm and hot day : they varied in 

 size, from three inches in diameter to as much as half a foot or more : 

 they resembled broad shield-shaped discs of glass, slightly prominent 

 above, incurved at their sides and concave beneath: through the 

 discs were seen shining the pendent brown-tinged stomach, and around 

 it, like so many equal stripes or rays proceeding to the margin, the 

 linear violet genital glands : from thie margin depended highly-con- 

 tractile violet tentacles. ■ ■ - 



The umbrella is broad, shallow, and disc-skaped, its outline de- 



