BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 245 



above mentioned, save with regard to the seven new species, which I 

 shall now proceed to describe. 



Equorea Formosa, n. s. (mihi). Plate XI Y., Fig. 2, a. 



Subsequent to the publication of his monograph (in which no species 

 of Equorea is mentioned), Professor Forbes, in Nov., 1851, read a paper 

 before the Zoological Society of London (vide "Proceedings" for 1851), 

 "Ona new species of Equorea inhabiting the British Seas." This he 

 termed M Forshalii. It differed from all other British naked-eyed 

 Medusae, both by its large size (6 inches in diameter) and also the 

 great number (136) of its radiating canals. Mr. Gosse, in his "Devon- 

 shire Coast," describes two other species, in which the vessels were not 

 quite so numerous ; and I have now to add a fourth, in which their 

 number is reduced to ten. 



The umbrella of this Medusa is slightly convex, depressed, smooth, 

 and beautifully transparent, from one-third to half an inch in length, and 

 the same in diameter at its orifice ; sub-umbrella occupying nearly half 

 the length of umbrella, traversed by ten simple vessels, which though 

 colourless, are easily recognisable by the naked eye. A marginal vessel 

 and veil border the sub -umbrella. Peduncle short and wide, of a very 

 pale-brown colour, fringed at its edge, ten-lobed, and nearly circular ; 

 the stomach in this animal was in fact almost an open cavity, sixty 

 tentacles surrounded the margin, each springing from a minute bulb. 

 Two only of the vessels were provided with ovaries. These were leaf- 

 like, of a pale-brown hue, placed very near the base of the stomach. 

 When living, this Medusa formed a most beautiful and attractive object. 

 To the naked eye it seemed almost perfectly colourless ; its tentacles were 

 exceedingly elastic, at one moment extending to two inches in length, 

 the next contracted into little wart-like nobs. Its movements were 

 active and vigorous. At first I was of opinion it might be the young 

 of some larger species of Equorea, but an examination of many speci- 

 mens has now convinced me that it is worthy of being ranked as a 

 separate species* 



Thaumantias Pattersonii, n. s. (mihi). Plate XI Y., Pig. 3, a. 



I have named this species after Mr. Robert Patterson, of Belfast, 

 whose book on " Zoology for Schools" has so largely contributed to the 

 extension of zoological science, and whose papers on Cydippe and 

 Bolina form so valuable a contribution to the history of our native - 

 Ciliogradae. 



The present animal is allied to T. melanops, corresponding with it 

 in the general shape of its umbrella, &c. The margin was bordered 

 by 208 tentacles. At eight equidistant points these were interrupted 

 by as many abortive bulbs, each containing a conspicuous black ocellus, 

 reminding one of the cysticles in Aurelia aurita. The peduncle was 

 long, terminating rather abruptly in four broad lips. The ovaries were 

 very linear, of a pale-brown hue. Parasitic on these was a small species 



vol. rv. 2 k 



