HYDROMEDUSAE FROM THE 

 FALKLAND ISLANDS 



By (the late) Edward T. Browne and P. L. Kramp 

 (Plates XIV-XIX; Text-figs. 1-12) 



INTRODUCTION 



THE Hydromedusae dealt with in the present paper were collected by Mr Rupert 

 Vallentin, who visited the Falkland Islands in November 1898 to February 1899, 

 November 1901 to March 1902, and November 1909 to February 1910. When the 

 first collection was brought to England, it was thoroughly and carefully worked up by 

 Mr E. T. Browne. A complete manuscript, with detailed descriptions of all the species, 

 and numerous beautiful drawings were ready for publication, when Mr Vallentin 

 went out again to the Falklands, and a second collection of Medusae was to be expected 

 the next year. Mr Browne therefore published a preliminary report in the Annals and 

 Magazine of Natural History (1902), based upon the first collection, with brief diagnoses 

 of the seventeen species, fifteen of which were new to science. It was Mr Browne's 

 intention to publish a complete report when the second collection had been examined ; 

 but this was not to be. When my dear old friend died, on 10 December 1937, the 

 numerous bottles containing the material from Mr Vallentin 's second and third voyages 

 were still among his unexamined collections. I am greatly indebted to Dr Stanley 

 Kemp, of the Marine Laboratory at Plymouth, and to Mr M. A. C. Hinton, of the British 

 Museum, for their confidence in placing this most interesting material and Mr Browne's 

 manuscript and drawings in my hands for final examination and publication. 



I deeply regret that the final report on the Falkland Medusae was not written by 

 Mr Browne himself in his usual skilful way. In grateful commemoration of a man who 

 contributed so much to our knowledge of those elegant and interesting creatures, the 

 Medusae, and who for many years, since I first met him in 1914, had a considerable 

 influence on my own studies of these animals, I have endeavoured to fulfil this task to 

 the best of my power. He always took great interest in my work, and when I consulted 

 him on certain puzzling problems he readily gave most helpful advice, either by letter 

 or during my repeated visits to his hospitable home at Berkhamsted. I shall always 

 honour the memory of this kind-hearted man and able scientist. 



It was my original intention merely to prepare Mr Browne's paper for publication, 

 with such alterations, especially of taxonomy and nomenclature, as had been necessitated 

 by the many years' abeyance, and with the additions derived from the supplementary 

 material. But in spite of the fact that the later collections did not contain any species 

 which were not represented in the first collection, I soon found out that the original 

 plan could not be maintained. The additional material of several species contained 



