26 Papa*. 



other I have not been able to identify with th>' British members of 

 Gymnochroa.'"* 



In 1879 Mr. A. Hamilton,! in a paper on fresh-water Polyzoa, incidentally 

 mentioned the occurrence in a swamp near Napier of '* a large reddish - 

 brown Hydra.''' The next record is by Farqnhar.J who, in 1896, published 

 a catalogued list of the New Zealand Hydroida. In his list he mentions 

 only one Hydra — -i.e., the one which Coughtrey had described as above. 

 Unfortunately, he calls it H. viridis. evidently misreading Coughtrey\ 

 description. Under this name h appears in the " Index Faunae Novae- 

 Zealandiae."§ 



In 1910 Dr. W. B. Benham|i published a note on " A Species of Hydra 

 new to New Zealand," which was found in the Shag Valley, and which, 

 he said, was characterized by a rich reddish-brown, almost mahogany, 

 colour, and by the great size (up to 15 mm.). He also refers to a small brown 

 species found near Dunedin. probably the same as the one mentioned by 

 Coughtrey. 



In addition to the published facts referred to above, Dr. Hilgendorf. 

 Professor Thomas, Professor Kirk, and Dr. Chilton have kindly contributed 

 information as to the occurrence of species of Hydra in New Zealand. 



Dr. Hilgendorf has seen a small brown form which occurs in ponds at 

 Woodhaugh, near Dunedin. This is probably the same as the brown species 

 of Coughtrey and Benham. 



Professor Kirk writes that there appear to be two kinds in Wellington, 

 one a dark-brown form, and the other a light-brown one. Professor Thomas 

 says that Hydra appears to be widely distributed about Auckland, and 

 notes the occurrence of the following : (1) a brownish or yellowish-brown 

 form ; (2) a form of a colour to suggest orange ; (3) a nearly colourless 

 form ; (4) a green species. He considers (1) to be the form commonly 

 called H. jusca, and (2) and (3) to be colour-varieties of it. The forms noted 

 by Professor Kirk and Dr. Hilgendorf probably belong to this species also. 



In 1885 Dr. Chilton in his manuscript note-book recorded the appearance 

 of a Hydra in Christchurch. The animal observed was light brown in colour, 

 and appeared to him to be the same as the form commonly known as 

 H. jusca. 



Specimens of a brown Hydra have, for several years past, been obtained 

 in moderate numbers from the River Avon, for use in the biological laboratory 

 at Canterbury College, though until lately no green ones were seen. But 

 in April of this year, while searching for Hydra in water from the River 

 Avon, several green specimens were discovered. These forms agree exactly, 

 in the characters that can be observed, with the descriptions given of 

 H. viridis. The gonads, however, have not been seen. 



According to Hickson,^ three species of Hydra are known in England 

 -viz., H. viridis Linn.. H. oligactis Pall. (= H. jusca Linn.), H. vulgaris 

 Pall. Hickson gives a short description of each of these species. 



A comparison of the forms found in New Zealand with these and other 

 descriptions shows that the green species observed in Christchurch is certainly 

 H. viridis, and the green form noted by Professor Thomas at Auckland 

 probably must be placed here also. It seems likely that the Shag Valley 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 8, p. 299; 1876. 



f Hamilton : " On Melicerta ringens and Plumatdla rcpen$." Trail*. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. 12, p. 303. 



% Farquhar : Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 28, p. 468; 1896. 



§ " Index Faunae Novae-Zealandiae," edited by F. W. Hutton, London ; 1904. 



i| Benham : Proc. N.Z. Inst, for 1909, part iv, p. 128 ; 1910. 



• Hiekson : ' : Cambridge Natural History." vol. 1, OoehrUerata, p. 2G6 ; 1906. 



