52 EDWARD T. BROWNE. 



FAMILY ULMARID^E.* 

 DIPLULMARIS, Maas, 1908. 



Generic Character. Ulmaridse with 16 rhopalia, 16 tentacles, and 32 marginal 

 lobes, regularly alternating (with numerous radial canals, some branching and all 

 anastomosing in a network at the periphery and communicating with a circular 

 canal). 



DIPLULMARIS ANTARCTICA. 



(Plate VI.) 



Diplulmaris antarctica, Maas, 1908, p. 9, PI. II., figs. 2, 3. 

 Ulmaropsis dryrjalskii, Vanhoffen, 1908, p. 45, figs. 10-12. 

 Ulmaropsis antarctica, Vanhoffen, 1909, Deutsche Siidpolar Exped. Vorwort, Bd. x. (Zool., Bd. ii.), p. v. 



This interesting Medusa was first described by Maas as a new genus and species, 

 and his description is based upon two specimens collected by the French Antarctic 

 expedition. A few months after the appearance of Maas' report on the Medusse of the 

 French expedition, Vanhoffen's report on the Medusae of the German Antarctic 

 expedition was published, and in it he described a new Medusa under the name of 

 Ulmaropsis dryyalskii, n.g. et n.sp. Messrs. Maas and Vanhoffen soon recognised 

 that both expeditious had collected specimens of this new Antarctic Medusa, and that 

 they had described it under different names. This was, however, unavoidable, owing 

 to the short interval of time between the publications of the two reports. 

 Dr. Vanhoffen (1909) recognises Maas' priority and proposes that the name Ulmaropsis 

 antarctica should be used instead of Diplulmaris antarctica. I am sorry that I cannot 

 agree to Vanhoeffen's proposed generic name, because it is directly opposed to the 

 rules of nomenclature, which are very clear and definite on this point. The generic 

 name Diplulmaris has priority over Ulmaropsis, just as the specific name antarctica 

 has priority over drygalskii. The name Diplulmaris is quite valid and must be used. 



The ' Discovery ' brought home twenty-six specimens of this species, and they 

 nearly all belong to the ephyra and meta-ephyra stages; but three are certainly 

 adults. 



There is also a single specimen in the ' Southern Cross ' collection. It belongs to 

 the meta-ephyra stage, and was taken at Cape Adare on 10th May, 1899. 



The Ephyra stage (Plate VI., figs. 1 and 2). The smallest and youngest specimens 

 of the series are between 4 and 5 mm. in diameter, and have the typical ephyra 

 appearance. At this stage the ephyra has sixteen fairly long arms, each divided into 

 two flat lobes, which in the adult become the marginal lobes of the umbrella, and each 

 arm carries a rhopalium. There are thirty-two straight, unbranched, radial canals, 

 sixteen of which run direct from the stomach to the rhopalia, and sixteen belong to 



As Ulmaris is a name coined by Prof. Haeckel, and not of Greek origin, Ulmarida maybe allowed to pass, 

 but Ihplulmans is so shocking a hybrid that a protest must be entered. Ulmaropsis is, of course, as" bad.-Ep. 



