[17] 



MEDUSAE FROM THE GULF STREAM. 



Family SOLMARID2E, Hseckeh 



Solmaris incisa, Fewkes. 



529 



Several large specimens of this giant Nareomedusa occur in the col- 

 lections ; in one of these the form of the bell is unmutilated and the subuin- 

 bral elevations and depressions well shown. The velarium is undivided 

 into marginal lappets, showing that my conjecture of the non-existence 

 of separate lappets in the jelly-fish is borne out by a study of fresh ma- 

 terial. There are in the largest specimen (entire) thirty subumbral de- 

 pressions. There are thirty tentacles and the same number of peronise. 

 No festoon canal. 



Many of the " marginal lappets" in other specimens are united, indi- 

 cating, as already suggested, the existence of connections along the 

 peronise, which are split in most of the specimens studied. The vela- 

 rium is formed by a union of all the marginal lappets, and recalls that 

 of other Solmaridre. 



The feature upon which the species is built is the radial grooves on 

 the under side of the umbrella, as already elsewhere described. These 

 i'radial-furcheu" resemble structures in Cunina camyanulata, where, 

 according to Haickel, they are on the " untere magenwand." In 8. incisa 

 these furrows are on the upper wall of the stomach or the under wall 

 of the disk. 



A new examination of 8. incisa to determine, if possible, whether 1 

 might not be mistaken in my identification, and whether my specimen 

 does not belong to C. campanulata has convinced me that my specimens 

 have no festoon canals, and differ in many other ways from Cunina. 

 8. incisa is more disk-like than campanulate, is larger than Campanulata 

 and has more tentacles. Instead of gastral pouches in the pernemal 

 radii there are prominent umbral elevations. The furrows are interne- 

 mal. In one specimen the edges of the gastral farrows were lined with 

 a white structure which may be the remnants of the attachment of the 

 ovaries. The species differs so greatly from other Solmares that it may 

 probably be found to be a new genus. 



This animal is a giant among the Narcomednsa?. The only genus of 



the group which approaches it in size is Polyocenia, of which P. cyanos- 



tylis, Esch., according to Eschscholtz is 80 mm in diameter. According 



to Ha)ckel a species found by him was one-third smaller than that of 



S. Mis. 90 34 



