REPORT ON THE SIPHONOPHOR.ffi. 247 



spontaneously and ejects the masses of red pigment-granules which darken the sea- 

 water. 



Palpons (PL X. fig. 20). — The tasters seem to occur between the siphons in variable 

 number and arrangement, sometimes a single one in each cormidium, at other times two 

 or even three associated. They are similar to the cystous, but smaller and without 

 a terminal opening. Each palpon is a spindle-shaped or pyriform vesicle, separated from 

 its thin pedicle by a ring composed of cnidocysts, which corresponds to the larger 

 basigaster of the cystons and siphons. The closed distal end is more or less pointed, and 

 armed with patches of small cnidocysts (fig. 20). From the cnidal ring of each palpon 

 arises, just as from the basigaster of each cyston, a very long and thin palpacle 

 (fig. 19, r) or a tasting filament, which is beset with numerous small cnidocysts. The 

 variable arrangement of the latter is represented by fig. 19b in the proximal part, fig. 19a 

 in the middle, and fig. 19c in the distal part of the palpacle. 



Gonophores (PL IX. fig. 7, f, h ; PL X. figs. 21, 22). — Each cormidium bears a 

 pediculate monostylic gonodendron, which is composed of a sexual palpon and numerous 

 clustered gonophores, females in the proximal part and males in the distal part. The 

 sexual palpon or gonopalpon (figs. 7, q : 21) is a spindle-shaped vesicle, which bears at 

 its base a pair of crescentic patches, composed of larger spherical cnidocysts ; its apex is 

 densely covered with smaller cnidocysts. The female gonophores (fig. 21,/) are pyriform 

 or subspherical ; each contains a single large ovum only, surrounded by a loose network of 

 irregular spadicine canals. The male gonophores (figs. 21, h, 22) are ovate or club-shaped, 

 with a simple central spadix (hx). The umbrella in both sexes closely embraces the 

 manubrium, and exhibits the usual four radial canals, connected by a very small 

 ring-canal above the velum. 



Genus 52. Forskaliopsis, 1 n. gen. 



Definition. — Forskalidse with loose cormidia and unsegmented trunk of the sipho- 

 some. Gonodendra monostylic, arising from the trunk, separate from the siphonal 

 pedicles. Siphons with hepatic ridges. Nectosome with palpons. 



The genus Forskaliopsis comprises those forms of Forskalidae, the typical represen- 

 tative of which is the Mediterranean Forskalia ophiura, Leuckart ; it differs from the 

 true Forskalia (hitherto confounded with it) in several important characters. The 

 trunk is not articulated, without annular constrictions, and everywhere densely covered 

 with innumerable bracts in the same manner as the long pedicles of the siphons. The 

 nectosome is distinguished by the presence of numerous tasting palpons scattered 

 between the nectophores (8, p. 352); these are wanting in Forskalia, and remind one 

 of the nectosome of Apolemia. The numerous cormidia in the large siphosome of 



1 Forskaliopsis = Similar to Forskalia. 



