382 MYRIOTHELA PHRYGIA. 



Though I followed Agassiz in this view myself/ more mature consideration has induced me 

 to return to the name of Myriothela. De Blainville deserves no credit for seeing that the 

 Lucernaria pliry(/ia of Fabricius was not a Liicernaria. Any zoological contemporary of his 

 would have done the same, and though by withdrawing this hydroid from the genus Lucernaria 

 he has so far rectified the error of Fabricius, he has, nevertheless, totally misunderstood its rela- 

 tions. He asserts of it that it " certainement n'appartient pas au type des Actinozoaires," and 

 he concludes his allusion to it by affirming its affinity to Sijmnculus.^ Indeed, Fabricius had a 

 far more correct conception of the zoological position of his animal than De Blainville had, for 

 besides giving a very good description of it, he expresses doubts as to its relations with Lucernaria, 

 and plainly recognises its hydroid affinities. 



Now Sars was well acquainted with the animal, for which he formed his genus Mi/riothela. 

 He had a true conception of its relations, and gives a legitimate generic diagnosis of it, so that I 

 have no hesitation in returning to the name of Myriothela, though the laws of priority, if rigidly 

 enforced, might justify the suppression of Sars's name in favour of De Blainville's. 



I can find no reason for regarding Fabricius's species as distinct from that of Sars, and as 

 no reason can be urged against the use of the specific name given to it by the famous author of 

 the ' Faima Grcenlandica,' I lielieve that here the law of priority must prevail, and that Fabricius's 

 name oi phryyia must take the place oi Arctica given by Sars. 



From tiie observations of Mr. Cocks it would appear that the young of Myriothela phrygia 

 escape from the gonophores under a form which has much resemblance to the young of Ttibularia,* 

 and Mr. Alder informed me that he had himself made a similar observation. It would thus 

 appear that the young of Myriothela are not 2)lanuIcB but actiniilce. 



Myriothela phuygia, Fahricms. 



Lucernaria phrygia, — Fabrichis, Fauna Gioenlandica, p. 343. 



Candelabrum phrygium, — De Blamville, Mem. d'Actinologie, p. 318. Agassix, Cunt., 



Nat. Hist. U. S., vol. iv, p. 3U. 

 Myriothela akctica, — Sars, Beretning otn en Zoologisk Raise i Lofoten. 

 Arum Cocksii, — Vigors, in Report of Royal Polytechnic Society of Cornwall, 1849. Cocks, 



in ditto, 1853, p. 34, pi. iii, figs. 7 — 12. 

 Spauix purpurea,- — Gosse, in Ann. Nat. Hist., vol. sii, 2nd ser., 1853, p. 126 ; and Man. of 



Marine Zoology, p. 19, fig. 25. 

 Myriothela phrygia,— iZ/wc^s, Brit. Hydr. Zooph., p. 77, pi. xi, fig. 3. 



TROPHOSOME. — Hydranth attaining a lieiglit of two inches when extended, 

 and then nearly cyUndrical in form ; tentacles densely crowded. 



^ " Genera of Hjdioida," 'Ann. Nat. Hist.' for May, 1864. 

 "" De Blainville, ' Actinologie,' p. 318. 



^ W. P. Cocks, in ' Report of the Roy. Polytechnic Soc. of Cornwall,' 1853, p. 34, pi. iii, figs. 

 7 — 12 ; and in ' Ann. Nat. Hist.,' vol. xii, 1853, p. 365. 



