OF THE HYDROMEDUSiE. 301 



ject, nor do I believe that anyone doubts the propriety of establishing for these forms a 

 distinct order of Hydromedusse. Cunina then is a representative of Haeckel's fourth 

 order of Hydromedusae, the Narcomedusse, or veiled medusae with free tentacular au- 

 ditory organs, with endodermal otolith cells on the bell margin ; with ocelli usually ab- 

 sent, and the tentacles inserted on the dorsal surface of the umbrella, and connected by 

 peronia Avith the free edge, which is thus divided into a number of lobes. Radial 

 canals absent, or present as fiat radial stomach pockets, in the sub-umbral walls of which 

 the reproductive elements are developed. Circular canal obliterated or converted into 

 a series of festoon canals, which fringe the edges of the lobes. The number of radial 

 organs is very variable, seldom four, usually eight, and often as many as thirty-two. 

 Velum thin and wide. Ontogeny, so far as observed, a metamorphosis, with metagen- 

 esis in a few exceptional forms. Cunina belongs to the first of Haeckel's four families, 

 the Cunanthklai, or ]N"arcomedusa:> with broad, radial stomach-pockets, which are united 

 to the circular canal by double peronial canals; with otoporpae or ciliated centripetal 

 stripes, and with nettle cells at the bases of the auditory tentacles. Our species, Cunina 

 octonaria, McCrady, belongs to Haeckel's genus Cunocantha, which includes species 

 with only eight tentacles, while the true Cuninas have more than eight ; and these eight 

 tentacles are inserted into the ends of the eight stomach pockets, while Cunoctina, 

 which also has eight tentacles, has them inserted into deep notches which divide each 

 pocket into two. 



Cunocantha octonaria, Haeclcel. 



Plates 43 and 44. 



Cunina octonaria, McCrady, 1857. Gymnophthalmata of Charleston Harbor, p. 109, 



pi. 12, fig. 4 (young specimen). 

 Foveolia octonaria, A. Agassiz, 1865. IN". A. Acalephae, p. 57. 

 Cunocantha octonaria, Haeckel, 1879. Das System der Medusen, p. 316. 



Species-Diagnosis. Umbrella lens-shaped, more than twice as wide as high. The 

 eight lobes semicircular, and about two-thirds as long as radius of central portion of 

 umbrella. Stomach pendent, reaching nearly to level of veil, with a wide base and a 

 small circular contractile mouth. Stomach pockets a little wider at distal than at 

 proximal ends, with reproductive elements developed over the whole sub-umbral sur- 

 face, two-thirds as long as the radius of central portion of umbrella. The tips of the 

 eight equal tentacles project only a little beyond the bell margin. Three auditory ten- 

 tacles on each of the eight lobes, the central one largest. 



Color. Stomach pockets and tentacles golden brown. 



Size. Diameter 12 mm. Height, 5 mm. 



Ontogeny. Metamorphosis together with asexual multiplication of the larva 1 , which 

 are parasitic in the bell cavity of Turritopsis. 



Habitat. Charleston, S. C, McCrady; Beaufort, K. O, Brooks; Hampton Roads, 

 Virginia, Brooks. 



While the larvae are said by McCrady to be quite common at Charleston, he found 

 no mature specimens, and only one which had the adult characteristics. He fig- 



