REPORT ON THE SIPHONOPHOR.E. 169 



them in the possession of numerous (four to six or more) nectophores, arranged in a 

 biserial nectosome similar to that of Hippopodius and Polyphyes. 



A single specimen only of this genus was captured by me during my voyage through 

 the Indian Ocean, between the Maldive Islands and Socotra, in March 1882. But 

 unfortunately it was injured during capture, and decomposed before I could make a 

 sketch of it. The general appearance and the form of nectophores and bracts were 

 similar to the figure which Fewkes published in 1880 as "the young of Praya 

 cymbiformis." l But instead of two opposite nectophores there were four present, the 

 superior pair somewhat smaller than the inferior. The cormidia, fifteen to twenty or 

 more, succeeded on the stem of the siphosome nearly without intervals, so that the 

 helmet-shaped bracts covering one another formed a continuous series of scales, whence 

 I called this species provisionally Desmalia imbricata. A fragment of a similar 

 siphosome was found in a bottle from the Challenger collection, taken in the South 

 Pacific (Station 165). The structure of the cormidia, and mainly the form of the helmet- 

 shaped bract (with four radial canals), was similar to that of Praya galea (PI. XXXIL). 

 Each eudoxiforin cormidium contained on the ventral side of the siphon a single 

 gonophore with well-developed umbrella and a small ovarium. All the cormidia were 

 female. 



Genus 32b. Desmophyes* Haeckel, 1888. 



Desmophyes, Hkl., System der Siphonophoren, p. 36. 



Definition. — Desmophyidse with rounded edgeless nectophores, arranged in a biserial 

 nectosome. Each cormidium provided with a small special nectophore. 



The genus Desmophyes is closely related to the preceding Desmalia, but differs from 

 it in the possession of a special nectophore on each cormidium, and by the reduction of 

 the umbrella of the gonophores. It agrees in these characters with Lilyopsis, and has 

 the same relation to this Diphyid genus as Desmalia bears to Praya. 



The only species of Desmophyes which I observed, and which is described in the 

 sequel, agrees with some species of Lilyopsis, not only in the general composition of 

 the cormidia, but also in the special form of their component parts. The special 

 nectophore of each cormidium bears on the margin of the medusiform umbrella a number 

 of ocelli and a corona of rudimentary tentacles (almost as in Lilyopsis medusa, &c). 

 Whilst the subumbrella is strongly developed in these special nectophores, it is 

 reduced in the gonophores, which possess a long prominent manubrium. Each 

 cormidium has a number of buds besides the mature gonophore. 



1 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool, vol. vi. No. 7, p. 146, pi. iii. fig. 2. 



2 Desmophyes = Chain-like animal, oiofios, (ping. 



(ZOOL. CHAIX. EXP.— PART LXXVII. — 1888.) Hhhh 22 



