54 Records of the Indian Museum. , VOLV, 
Genus LopHorus, Dumortier. 
The punctata group of Plumatella is to some extent intermediate 
between Lophopus and the typical species of its own genus, but in 
Lophopus the tubular character of the zocecia is still further masked 
by the development of the syncecium, which takes the form of a 
gelatinous vertical sack. The polypides are invested in this sack 
in an upright position, as is most clearly seen when they are fully 
expanded. Their lowest point is separated by some little distance 
from the base of the zocecium, except when the whole organism is 
very strongly contracted. The free statoblasts resemble those of 
Plumatella but are much larger ; fixed statoblasts are not formed. 
Only two species of Lophopus can be recognized, namely L. 
crystallinus (Pallas) and L. jheringi, Meissner. The former occurs 
in Europe and North America and has the statoblasts of an oval 
shape with the extremities much produced ; the latter has only 
been found in Brazil and has the statoblasts irregularly polygonal 
or almost circular. 
It is doubtful whether any species that really belongs to Lophopus 
occurs in India, for the species found by Carter in Bombay must be 
placed in the genus Lophopodella, while there is no information 
available regarding a form said to occur in Madras. 
Genus LOPHOPODELLA, Rousselet (1904). 
There has been much confusion between this genus and Lopho- 
pus, but a recent examination of living specimens, which I was able 
to keep under observation for some weeks, shows me that I was 
wrong in regarding the two as identical. Rousselet’s genus may be 
distinguished by the following characters :— 
(1) The polypides are arranged in the syncecium in such a 
way that they radiate from a commoncentre. When 
fully expanded they do not stand upright but recline 
with their main axis at a tangent to the base of the 
syneecium, from which they are not far separated. 
(2) The statoblasts normally bear at either end a series of 
delicate chitinous processes each provided with several 
pairs of minute hooks. 
From Pectinatella the genus is distinguished, (1) by the fact 
that different zoaria do not become embedded in a common jelly, 
and (2) by the structure and position of the chitinous processes of 
the statoblasts. 
Three species of Lophopodella may be distinguished. 
I. Extremities of the statoblast produced .. L. capensis. 
II. Extremities of the statoblast convex or sub- 
truncate tes a L. carter. 
III. Extremities of the statoblast concave .. L. thomas. 
_ 1 Miss I. B. J. Sollas, ‘‘ A new freshwater Polyzoon from §. Africa,’’? Ann. 
Mag. Nat. Hist. (8), vol. 1i, p. 264 (1908). 
