﻿NO. 
  1046. 
  PACIFIC 
  MEDUSAE 
  AND 
  SIPHONOPHORAE—BIQELOW. 
  65 
  

  

  gonophore 
  which 
  had 
  lost 
  its 
  spadix. 
  In 
  the 
  Biscayan 
  scries 
  of 
  

   plicata 
  (1911&), 
  I 
  found 
  what 
  appeared 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  tjq^ical 
  special 
  necto- 
  

   phore, 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  gonophores, 
  in 
  one 
  cormidium. 
  But 
  we 
  must 
  

   remember 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  structure 
  might 
  be 
  interpreted 
  as 
  an 
  abortive 
  

   gonophore 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  spadix 
  had 
  failed 
  to 
  develop. 
  A 
  single 
  

   specimen 
  with 
  the 
  whole 
  stem 
  intact 
  would 
  settle 
  the 
  question 
  at 
  

   once; 
  and 
  until 
  some 
  student 
  can 
  examine 
  such 
  material 
  further 
  

   discussion 
  is 
  idle. 
  But 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  observed 
  that 
  if 
  it 
  should 
  prove 
  

   that 
  R. 
  plicata 
  has 
  no 
  special 
  nectophores, 
  but 
  only 
  gonophores, 
  there 
  

   would 
  be 
  no 
  generic 
  distinction 
  between 
  it 
  and 
  Praya 
  cymbiformis. 
  

  

  The 
  nectophores 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  series 
  (pi. 
  5, 
  fig. 
  10) 
  agree 
  with 
  the 
  

   Biscayan 
  and 
  eastern 
  Pacific 
  ones 
  in 
  their 
  short 
  broad 
  outlines 
  and 
  

   in 
  the 
  very 
  deep 
  hydroecium, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  strength 
  of 
  these 
  features 
  

   that 
  I 
  have 
  united 
  the 
  Biscayan, 
  eastern 
  Pacific, 
  and 
  northwestern 
  

   Pacific 
  specimens. 
  

  

  In 
  tne 
  only 
  other 
  species 
  with 
  which 
  they 
  could 
  be 
  confused, 
  Praya 
  

   cymbiformis, 
  the 
  nectophores 
  are 
  proportionately 
  narrower, 
  with 
  

   hydroecium 
  shallower, 
  and 
  of 
  almost 
  equal 
  depth 
  from 
  end 
  to 
  end, 
  

   and 
  as 
  the 
  difference 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  constant, 
  it 
  would 
  separate 
  the 
  two 
  

   forms 
  specifically, 
  even 
  if 
  it 
  does 
  eventually 
  prove 
  that 
  they 
  belong 
  

   to 
  a 
  single 
  genus. 
  The 
  older 
  (inferior) 
  nectophores 
  of 
  plicata 
  can 
  

   not 
  be 
  distinguished 
  from 
  those 
  of 
  cijmbiformis 
  (191 
  1&). 
  

  

  Stem 
  and 
  appendages. 
  — 
  Only 
  young 
  siphons, 
  gonophores, 
  and 
  bracts 
  

   remain 
  attached, 
  and 
  none 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  sufTiciently 
  advanced 
  to 
  show 
  

   whether 
  there 
  is 
  any 
  important 
  difference 
  between 
  them 
  and 
  the 
  cor- 
  

   responding 
  organs 
  in 
  cymbiformis, 
  nor 
  did 
  the 
  eastern 
  Pacific 
  series 
  

   prove 
  any 
  more 
  helpful. 
  

  

  In 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  Pacific 
  specimens 
  was 
  the 
  somatocyst 
  ter- 
  

   minally 
  dilated, 
  whereas 
  in 
  the 
  Biscayan 
  series 
  it 
  varied 
  from 
  being 
  

   slightly 
  thickened 
  at 
  the 
  tip 
  to 
  having 
  an 
  egg-shaped 
  terminal 
  swell- 
  

   ing 
  (pi. 
  5, 
  fig. 
  11). 
  But 
  the 
  present 
  series 
  shows 
  that 
  the 
  difference 
  

   is 
  due 
  cither 
  to 
  contraction 
  or 
  to 
  individual 
  variation, 
  for 
  one 
  specimen 
  

   has 
  a 
  well-marked 
  dilation, 
  some 
  are 
  slightly 
  tliickened, 
  and 
  others 
  

   retain 
  an 
  even 
  caliber 
  to 
  the 
  tip. 
  

  

  Genus 
  NECTODROMA 
  Bigelow, 
  191 
  1. 
  

   NECTODROMA 
  RETICULATA 
  Bigelow. 
  

  

  Nectodroma 
  reticulata 
  Bigelow, 
  19116, 
  p. 
  206, 
  pi. 
  1, 
  figs. 
  7, 
  8; 
  pi. 
  3, 
  figs. 
  1-7. 
  

  

  Station 
  4928, 
  300-0 
  fathoms; 
  2 
  nectophores, 
  which 
  probably 
  belong 
  

   together, 
  though 
  now 
  separate, 
  42 
  and 
  50 
  mm. 
  long; 
  4 
  bracts. 
  

  

  The 
  nectophores, 
  though 
  not 
  perfect, 
  are 
  in 
  sufhciontly 
  good 
  con- 
  

   dition 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  they 
  agree 
  in 
  all 
  their 
  essentials, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  iu 
  

   69077°— 
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