582 Chas. W. Hargitt 



later tliaii thc primary, or perradial, and remaining somewliat smallor 

 in size. So characteristic does Haeukel regard this feature tbat lie 

 has designated it as oue of tbe generic characters of these medusae. 



Grobbex^, bowever, has publislicd a somewbat detailed account 

 of Podocorijue carnea^ one feature of whieb was tbe presence of but 

 four teutacles on tbe medusae. These medusae are represented, 

 moreover, as hearing sexual produets, a fact wbicb would certainly 

 imply approximate maturity, and therefore justify tbe further inference 

 tbat no additional tentacles appear. Grobbex's tigures bave heen 

 variously copied into text-books, monographs, etc., but so far as I 

 bave been able to discover, no particular note has been made of 

 the appareut auonialy, tbat all earlier accounts, including, those of 

 Saes, Keohn, Hincks, Allman, and later of Haeckel as just cited, 

 give to the medusa tbe usuai eigbt marginal tentacles. So far as 

 I am aware, notbing has been said as to tbe probability of this 

 fact being due to tbe existence of at least a distinct variety, if 

 not indeed of a distinct s peci es. 



Haeckel (op. cit.), has indeed expressed some doubt as to 

 whetber there might not be a distinction in tbe Mediterranean species 

 in tbe follo wing words: — "Es ist möglich, daß die mediterrane 

 Form von der nordischen echten B. carnea specifisch zu unterscheiden 

 ist, in welchem Falle der ersteren der ältere, von ihrem Entdecker 

 gegebene Name: Dijsmorpiiosa conchicola verbleiben kann." 



Weismann has likewise expressed a doubt of a similar sort, as 

 possibly accounting for apparent discrepaucies between bis version 

 of the origin of the sex-cells and tbat of de Varenne as to tbe 

 same subject. 



From these citations, as well as from tbe foregoing account, it 

 may be clearly seen tbat in all probability we bave in tbe Naples 

 form a distinct species, and indeed, ou tbe basis of Haeckel's 

 System, even a distinct genus. Tbe latter, however, may be at once 

 dismissed as wbolly inadmissible, as tbe mere presence of a few 

 more or less teutacles would not, in itself, justify any such sepa- 

 raticjn. Moreover, when one comes to compare tbe hydroid colo- 

 nies of the Naples species with those of other localities there is not 

 the slightest doubt as to their very dose relationsbip. Allman 

 bimself says they are indistiuguisbable from tyi)ical P. carnea Sars. 

 Incidentally, it may be noted in tbis connection that Allman's doubt 



1 Sitznnsrsb. Akad. Wien 72. Bd. 187.5. 



