MAYER: MEDUS-E FROM THE TORTUGAS, FLORIDA. 23 



punctata var. pacifica, occurs in the Tropical Pacific. I'eriphylla 

 liyaciutiiina, Steeustrup ; found widely distributed throughout tlie 

 wliole Atlantic Ocean (see Vanhotfen, 1892 ; Akalephen der Plankton 

 Expedition, Taf. V.). Pelagia phosphora, Haeckel ; appears to be widely 

 distributed over the Tropical Zone of the Atlantic Ocean (see Haeckel, 

 1879, p. 507, Vanhoffen, 1892, pp. 19, 20); Atolla Bairdii, Fewkes, 

 is a deep sea form that has been found by the " Albatross " in the Gulf 

 Stream, off the coast of the United States, and by Vanhotfen south of 

 the Cape Verde Islands, off the African coast. 



The Siphonophorce of the Bahama-Tortugas region are almost all 

 widely distributed Tropical Atlantic forms, and most of them have 

 already been found by Haeckel, and by Chun, in the Canary Islands. 

 The Siphonophorse are pelagic animals par excellence, and as they undergo 

 their development while floating within the ocean, and are quite, if not 

 wholly, independent of the bottom, one finds them widely distributed by 

 ocean currents. As was pointed out by Chun (1897, Siphonophoren 

 der Plankton Expedition, p. 101, etc.), the Siphonophorse of the warm 

 regions of the Atlantic Ocean are widely distributed, distinctive species not ' 

 being confined to particular regions. It is quite true, however, as Chun 

 also shows (pp. 107-109), that, while many of the Atlantic Siphonophorse 

 are found in the Mediterranean, thei'e are others which are peculiar to 

 the Mediterranean and have not been seen in the Atlantic; while there 

 are also a number of Atlantic species that do not appear in the Mediter- 

 ranean. It is possible, as future researches may demonstrate, that 

 there are a few Siphonophorse that are restricted to the Gulf of Mex- 

 ico, or the Bahama Banks, but as yet we are certainly not justified in 

 making any such statement. 



The Ctenophorce of the Bahama-Tortugas region are not sufficiently 

 well known, and too little has been discovered concerning their distribu- 

 tion to warrant us in drawing general conclusions in regard to their geo- 

 graphical range. Beroe Clarkii and Bolina vitrea appear to be confined 

 to the West Indies and the southern Atlantic Coast of the United 

 States, while Ocyroe crystallina probably has a wider distribution over the 

 Tropical Atlantic. The so-called " Eucharis multicornis," " Hormiphora 

 plumosa," and " Beroe ovata " of the Tortugas have not been studied 

 with sufficient care to warrant our stating that they are actually identi- 

 cal with the Mediterranean species bearing the same names. 



