60 ON THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE 



be denied that a correspondence in the mode of propagation 

 of the Campanularice, described by Loven and Van Beneden, 

 is more readily perceived in an explanation of it according to 

 the views of the latter, than when it is explained according to 

 those of Dujardin. 1 have not, unfortunately, had an oppor- 

 tunity of observing Campanularioi with medusiform offspring, 

 and consequently must at present refrain from expressing any 

 judgment in favour of one view or the other. But it appears 

 to me that everything depends upon the determination of the 

 fact, whether the medusiform animals are also produced by 

 sexual propagation like the ciliated embryos of C. geniculata. 

 If true egg-germs, with the usual transitionary forms into' 

 embryos, are found in the axillary capsules of Van Beneden's 

 CamjJanularicB (as stated by that author), and in other capsules, 

 spermatozoids, in the way I am about to describe as obtain- 

 ing in CamjDanularia geniculata^ no farther doubt, perhaps, 

 could be entertained with respect to the embryonic nature of 

 the medusiform offspring ; and their development into sexual, 

 self-propagative Medusoa would, according to all known 

 analogies, have to be regarded as impossible ; but if, on the 

 contrary, it is found that the Medusce arise in an asexual way 

 in the capsules, and that analogous spermatic capsules do not 

 occur at all, we should in that case expect to witness the 

 development of sexual parts only in the MeduscB, and con- 

 sequently should have to regard the Camjmnularioe merely as 

 developmental forms o( Acalfphce. In Campanularia geniculata, 

 then, the polypoid envelopes of the ova and embryos, as well 

 as the spermatic globules presently to be more particularly 

 desci'ibed, should necessarily be regarded as analogous to the 

 MeduscE, although they never become free, nor exhibit any 

 kind of movement whatever beyond a slight motion of the 

 tentacles, and are wholly incapable of receiving nutriment. 



In the genus Campanularia;, therefore, we have true polypes, 

 whose representatives are Campanulai'ia geniculata and others, 

 which might be regarded only as developmental conditions of 

 an Acalepha, exactly as is the case with the species of Corgiie, 

 many of which, as for instance C. sfjuamata, develop ova arid 

 spermatic capsules, which never separate from the polypes, 

 but after being emptied of their contents become detached ; 

 whilst in others, as in Coryne aculeata, these capsules are 

 detached before the complete development of the ova or of 

 the semen, and swim about under the form of Medusa, in 

 which the sexual organs are not developed till afterwards. 



Let us now return to our observations. The male organs of 

 the Campanularia, containing the spermatic fluid, have not 



