1896.] 179 



THE medusa: of VALENCIA HARBOUR, COUNTY 



KERRY. 



BY KDWARD T. BROWNE- 

 Zoological Research Laboratory, University College, London. 



My friend and colleague, Mr. F. W. Gamble, published in the 

 May number of this Journal a preliminary account of the 

 results obtained by dredging and shore-collecting in Valencia 

 Harbour. It falls to my share to give a list of the Medusae 

 collected during April and Ma}^, 1895. 



In selecting the locality on the West Coast of Ireland it was 

 necessary to find a place not only suitable for dredging and 

 shore-collecting, but also for tow-netting, a .place well-pro- 

 tected from the swell and storms of the Atlantic. For tow- 

 netting I found Valencia Harbour an exceedingly good place, 

 naturally well-sheltered, and with an excellent pelagic fauna. 

 When the tide was flowing in from the ocean it was only 

 necessary to anchor the boat and to cast the net overboard. 

 By this method the lovely siphonophore Agahiopsis could be 

 taken in perfect condition, without the loss of even a swim- 

 ming-bell. Everyone who has worked on delicate pelagic 

 animals, knows that it is not only important to catch them in 

 perfect condition, but also to be able to examine them very 

 soon after the net has been taken on board. A tow-netting 

 not examined within an hour is usually of little use, as most 

 of the delicate animals are either in a dying condition or dead. 

 The examination of the specimens was greatl)^ facilitated by 

 the short distance of the laboratory from the place for tow- 

 netting. 



Only a very few species of Medusae had been recorded from 

 the West Coast of Ireland, and the}^ conveyed only a vague 

 idea of what might be expected to be found there. As many 

 rare and interesting animals had been taken along the West 

 Coast I naturally expected to meet with a few rare and interest- 

 ing Medusae. The species which I collected were not very 

 rare, and most of them I had already seen either at Port Erin, 

 in the Isle of Man, or at Plymouth ; but some, even the 

 commonest, were of great importance from a systematic point 

 of view. I was able to collect many early stages and a few 

 complete series showing the development of some of the 



