BIGELOW : .MEDUSAE FROM THE MALDIVE ISLANDS. 2G5 



The remainder of the lower suriace of the disc, between the central polypite 

 and the tentacuhir zone, is cumpk-tely covered by the long, slender feeding 

 and rei)roductive polypites, bearing at their bases clusters of Medusae in all 

 stao-es of development. These Medusae agree very well with the ligures given 

 by Alexander Agassiz for Porpita linneana. (Mem. Mus. Comp. Zuol, 

 vol. 8, no. 3.) Scattered among the reproductive polypites are a i'ew of hirger 

 size, which seem to be sterile. Their heads are rounded and surrounded by 

 four clusters of nettle cells. Our preserved specimens are unfortunately too 

 imperfect to allow f)f histological investigation, so I have been unable to trace 

 tlie number or position of the tracheae. 



The characteristic external features of this species are: first, its intense Prus- 

 sian blue color ; second, the large size and extreme flatness of the disc ; third, 

 the shortness of the tentacles, and fourth, the great length of the feeding and 

 reproductive polypites. 



Diphyopsis appendiculata Agassiz and Mater. 



Diphyes appendiculata Eschsclioltz, 1829, Syst. der Acalepiis, p. 138, taf. 12, fig. 7. 

 Diphyes appendiculata Huxley, 1859, Oceanic Hydrozoa, p. 34, plate 1, figs. 2-2 c. 

 Dipliyopsis appendiculata Agassiz, A., and Mayer, A. G., 1899, Mem. Mus. Comp. 

 Zoiil., vol. 26, no. 3, p. 160, plate 9. 



A species of Diphj'opsis, apparently identical v?ith the Diphyopsis appendi- 

 culata of Agassiz and Mayer, was one of the most abundant Acalephs in the tow, 

 and was taken at almost every station. The only distinction between it and 

 the Pacific variety is that all our specimens were colorless, instead of having the 

 polypites and nematocyst batteries yellowish or pinkish. . 



Physalia megalista Peron kt Lesdeur. 



Physalia megalista Peron, F., et Lesueur, C. A., 1807, Voyage aux terres Aus- 



trales, MoUusques et Zoophytes, plate 29, fig. 1. 

 Physalia megalista Haeckel, E., 1888, " Challenger " Report, Zool., vol. 28. 



One specimen of Physalia belonging to this species was taken on January 19, 

 off Tiladummati atoll. The pneumatocyst measured twenty-five mm. in 

 length and was deep Prussian blue in color. 



III. CTENOPHORAE. 



Bolina ovalis, sp. nov. 



Plate 8, Fig. 28. 



This species appears closely allied to Bolina microptera A. Agassiz (N. 

 Amer. Acalephs, 1865), and may prove to be identical with it. But the 



