j5 



Character and Distribution of the genns Perigonimus. 



By 



Prof, Chas. W. Hargitt, Ph. D., 



Syracuse, N. Y. 



The discovery and description of a member of the genus Peri- 

 gonimus^ takeu in the waters of Long Island Sound in July 1892, 

 by Dr. H. L. Osborn and the present writer, and the unique cha- 

 racter exhibited by it, so impressed me that occasion has been takeu 

 during a sojourn at the Naples Zoologi cai Station to examine mem- 

 bers of the genns found in the waters of the Gulf of Naples, by 

 way of comparison with the one taken in the waters of the New 

 York coast, and with the purpose, moreover, of establishing more 

 certainly its relations with European species. 



In so doiug I have had occasion to review with some care the 

 available literature relative to the genus and am disposed to submit 

 the following Synopsis as touching points in its character, habit and 

 distribution. I am the more impressed with the desirableness of 

 such a review, since it may serve to bring together a conspectus of 

 our present knowledge of the literature of the subject, if nothing 

 more. It has seemed, moreover, that attention has not heretofore 

 been adequately directed to points of structure which, it seems to 

 me, make the genus one of peculiar interest to the biologist. To 

 bring together these records, emphasize features of morphological 

 significance , and contribute additional Information as to distribution, 

 are a few of the inducements prompting the paper. 



Perigonimus ^ one of the principal genera of the Gymnoblastic 

 Hydroids, was established by Michael Sars^ in 1840, based upon 



1 Fauna Littoralis Norvegiae. I.Heft 1846 pag. 8—9. 



Mittheilungeu a. d. Zoolog. Station zu Neapel. Bd. 11. 32 



