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description or figure was ever published of this creature, and as the 
diagnosis of the “Medusa’’ to which Linnzeus applied the name of 
“equorea” was too brief for identification, it is possible that some 
one out of several Acalephe inhabiting our seas might have been in- 
tended. 
It is also possible, however, that a true Eiquorea had been seen, 
for there is a most beautiful species of this genus an inhabitant of the 
Scottish seas. I met with it for the first time in August 1850, when 
exploring the Minch (the channel between the outer Hebrides and 
Skye) in company with Mr. MacAndrew and Prof. Goodsir, with the 
advantages of the appliances for natural-history research with which 
Mr. MacAndrew has furnished his yacht, the Naiad. As there is 
neither figure nor description of any British Zquorea to be found, 
and as considerable obscurity hangs around the Atlantic species of 
the genus, I have drawn up the following notice. 
A number of individuals were observed : they were swimming near 
the surface of the sea on a very calm and hot day: they varied in 
size, from three inches in diameter to as much as half a foot or more: 
they resembled broad shield-shaped discs of glass, slightly prominent 
above, incurved at their sides and concave beneath: through the 
discs were seen shining the pendent brown-tinged stomach, and around 
it, like so many equal stripes or rays proceeding to the margin, the 
linear violet genital glands: from the margin depended highly-con- 
tractile violet tentacles. 
The umbrella is broad, shallow, and dise-shaped, its outline de- 
scribing a gentle curve. It is hyaline, not very thick, and quite 
smooth. The central portion of its interior, occupying about one- 
fourth of its diameter, has dependent from it the membranous veil- 
like walls of the stomach ; these hang not quite so low as on a line with 
the margins of the umbrella. The stomach, although equal in width 
throughout, may be divided: into two regions, an upper and a lower. 
The latter has a furbelowed and somewhat scalloped, but not cirrated 
margin, and may be regarded as the mouth. The former is marked 
internally by eight bands of transverse fibres, separated by as many 
longitudinai ones ; these appear to be muscular. The whole of the 
membrane of the stomach and lips is tinged with pale foxy brown, 
partly disposed in streaks. Around the upper and inner margin of 
the cavity are the orifices of the gastro-vascular canals; these run, 
without dividing or anastomosing, to the circular marginal canal of 
the umbrella. In a specimen five inches across, they were 136 in 
number. From the lower side of each canal depend two narrow, 
rather wavy membranes of a violet colour, causing the ray-like streaks 
that shine so conspicuously through the disc; each of these arises 
gradually near the superior extremity of a gastro-vascular canal, and 
ceases abruptly at about one-eighth of the entire length of the canal 
from the margin: they are the genital glands. At the junction of 
each alternate gastro-vascular canal with the circular marginal one is 
the bulb-like base of a marginal tentacle: these tentacles arise from 
ovate bulbs and gradually taper toa fine point. The bulbs are pale, 
No. CCXXXVI.—Proceepines or THE ZOOLOGICAL Soctety. 
