ZOOPHYTES. 33 



difficult to say what will escape the eye of a pelagic bird, such 

 as gull, guillemot, or hawk-like tern. Theu- keen eyes 

 distinguish very indistinct objects — for instance, the nucleus 

 of SaJjja runcinata, and the minute and almost transparent 

 bodies of the young fishes that flit amongst the splendid masses 

 of swimmmg jellies (Molluscan and Coelenterate) which some- 

 times throng oui- western shores. The mere tremor of the 

 water is almost sufficient to attract such acute and skilful 

 marauders. Moreover the statement of the great natiiralist 

 is incomplete without the appendix that many of the Medusse 

 and Hydromedusffi are brilliantly colom-ed and, in addition, 

 phosphorescent, the latter property likewise characterizing the 

 translucent Pyrosoma, and that my distinguished friend Prof. 

 Wyville Thomson regards the luminosity of marine animals as 

 a provision of nature for attracting their enemies in the abysses 

 of the ocean, or for throwing a flood of light on their own prey. 

 I have already* shown my reasons for believing that the theory 

 of the latter author is open to doubt, and shall make a fewfm-ther 

 remarks on the subject under the Annelida. If the notion had 

 been promulgated that the sexes in the abysses of the ocean used 

 their light to atti-act each other, and thus had a better chance of 

 continuing the race, perhaps more might have been said in its 

 favour. 



Genus AUEELIA, Per. & Les. 

 Aurelia aw-ita, 0. Fabr. 



Abundant in autumn and often so late as November. 

 Genus Cyanea, '26i\ & Les. 

 Cyanea capillata, Eschsch. 



Common in autumn. 



Order LucERNARiiD^. 

 {Calycozoa, R. Leuck.). 



Genus Luceenaria, 0. F. Miiller. 



Lucernaria auricula., 0. Fabr. 



[Plate III. figs. 11 & 12.] 



Frequent on Fuci near the commencement of the East 



Rocks, and occasionally at the West Rocks. It is as common 



as in the south. 



• Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1872, ser.4, vol. ix. p. 2. 



F 



