to British Actinology. 85 



Taken abundantly in Clifden Bay^ Cunnemara, by Mr. 

 Thompson^ Mr. Ball, and myself, in July 1840. A small 

 species, one-fourth of an inch across ; clubs of the vessels 

 short and broad. 



3. Thaumantias punctata, nov. sp. Umbrella hemisphe- 

 rical. Clubs and proboscis pink. Proboscis four-cleft, 

 lobes sub-acute. Eyes large, black, on the bulbous bases 

 of the thirty- two tentacula. 



PI. I. fig. b a b, Thaumantias punctata ; 5 c, one of its ten- 

 tacula. 



This species, measuring near an inch across, was taken 

 plentifully in July 1839, in the Frith of Forth, near the Isle 

 of May. 



4. Thaumantias sarnica, nov. sp. Umbrella hemispherical. 

 Clubs and proboscis bluish. Proboscis four-cleft, lobes 

 acute. Eyes ? Tentacula twenty. 



Measured half an inch across. Taken in the Channel, be- 

 tween Guernsey and Herm, August 1839. 

 PL I. fig. 6 a b, T, sarnica; 6 c, its proboscis. 



These additional species double the number of members of 

 this genus. The four previously recorded were, 1. T. cymbal- 

 lo'idea {Medusa cymballaroides, Slabber, DiancBa, Lamarck, 

 see fig. in Encyc. Meth. pi. 93. fig. 2 — 4). 2. T, hemisphcB- 

 7'ica (see fig. in Zool. Dan. t. y.)^ recorded as English by Dr. 

 Macartney, as Irish by Mr. Thompson. 3. T, multicirrhata 

 (Sars, Jagt. ogBeskr. p. 26. t. 5. fig. 12.). 4. T. plana (Sars, 

 p. 28. t. 5. f. 13.), both natives of the Norwegian seas, and to 

 be looked for in our own. The former of Sars's species is 

 easily recognised by its numerous tentacula, above 200, and 

 the elongated clubs of the cross-vessels ; the latter by its 

 being quite flat, and also having numerous tentacula. 



In observing species of Thaumantias, of which many more 

 may occur in our and in other seas, the points especially to be 

 noted are, 1st, the number of tentacula (always a multiple of 

 four) ; 2nd, the presence, absence, size and colour of eyes at 

 their bases ; 3rd, the colour of the cross-vessels and proboscis ; 

 4th, the shape of the umbrella ; 5th, the shape of the clubs 

 of the vessels ; and 6th, the form and lobation of the oral pro- 

 boscis or peduncle. I have mentioned these sources of cha- 

 racter in what I conceive to be the order of their respective 

 importance, but all should if possible be noted. 



