24 



MEDUSiE. I. 



tively small number of cordyli; the highly irregular distribution of the cordyli, however, seems to 

 indicate, that the number has been greater in the living animal, but that most of the cordyli have 

 dropped off, as is often the case in preserved material. — Cirri have not been observed in L. maasn'\ 

 it is possible, that cirri are really wanting in this form, but, on the other hand, there is an equal 

 probability of the want being due to the preservation. As mentioned above, cirri were only ostensible 

 in well-preserved specimens of L. undulata^ and even then but a very small number were left; more- 

 over, it is always very difficult to trace these delicate organs between the densely crowded tentacles. 

 Also the above-mentioned L. bigelowi Neppi & Stiasny is said to be devoid of cirri, though its iden- 

 tity with the common European form is beyond doubt. The colour of the radial canals, the gonads 

 etc. of L. inaasii is light blue to bluish-green, thus particularly in accordance with the colour com- 

 monly found in L. nluthrix, a colour which may also be niet with in others of the Atlantic forms of 

 Laodicea. — Altogether, the description, as given by Ma as, of the East-Indian medusa presents a 

 correspondence, accomplished into minute details, with Laodicea unditlata from the north-eastern Atlantic, 

 the only feature of distinction being the want of cirri, a feature which, very probably, is due to 

 preservation. 



We still have to mention Laodicea pitlchra Browne (1902, p. 280) from the Falkland Islands. 

 This medusa grows to the size of 25 mm in diameter; in spite of this considerable size it has only 

 about 50 tentacles; there are usually 3 — 4 cordyli between each successive pair of tentacles. This is 

 evidently a well-defined form, specifically different from all the forms mentioned above. 



Table II. Synoptic Table of the various forms of Laodicea. 



The Table If includes all the different forms of Laodicea described up to now (except 

 L.pulchra), arranged according to their geographical occinrence. It will be seen that all of the forms 

 from the Atlantic-Mediterranean area possess both cirri and tentacular spurs, with the exception of /-. 

 inge/aivi from the Adriatic Sea, in which cirri have not been observed. With regard to the forms from 

 the Indo-Pacific region, the organs in question are said to occur in some forms, whereas they are 



