122 CLASS III. 



ORDER III. Discophorce. 



Body disciform or campanulate, above naked, below usually 

 provided with arms or tentacles. 



The Meduso'ids or Sea-blubber. They have a gelatinous disc, on 

 the upper surface more or less spherical, which from its form has 

 been compared to an umbrella or a hood ; the form has some re- 

 semblance to toad-stools (agarici). These animals move themselves 

 by expansion and contraction of the hood. The mouth, or the suc- 

 torial organs which take the place of the mouth, are situated in the 

 center of the inferior surface, sometimes elongated into a pedicle 

 and provided with different tentacles. On this difference are 

 founded the numerous genera which modern writers have felt jus- 

 tified in adopting. 



Compare on this order : PERON et LESUEUR, Tableau des carac- 

 teres generiques et specifiques de toutes les espeees de Meduses con- 

 nues jusqu'a cejour. Annal. du Museum xiv. 1809, pp. 325 366. 



J. F. BRANDT, Ausfiihrliche Beschreibung der von C. H. MERTENS 

 auf seiner Weltumsegelung beobachteten Schirmquallen ; mit 34 meist 

 colorirten Tafeln. St Petersburg, 1838, 4 to (from the Mem. de 

 HAcad. des Sc. de St. Petersburg, vi e . Serie, Tom. iv.) 



A) Many oscules. 



Family VI. Geryonidce. A peduncle from the center of the 

 inferior surface of the disciform body, with the free extremity 

 lobate, or furnished with arms. The border of the body mostly 

 tentaculate. ( Genus Diancea LAM.) 



It is not so completely established that all the forms here brought 

 together are really characterised by the absence of a simple mouth. 

 WILL at least, in the animals placed by him in the genus Geryonia, 

 found a mouth surrounded by four lobes. In some the pedicle is 

 supplied at its extremity with a folded appendage (Geryonia), in 

 others at its base, or at its extremity, it is beset with threads : 

 Favonia, Lymnorea, &c. 



Genera : Geryonia PERON, Proboscidactyla BRANDT, Diancea, 

 Linuche ESCHSCH., Sajihenia ESCHSCH., Eirene ESCHSCH., Limnorcea 

 PERON, Favonia PERON. 



