with descriptions of several of the objects which cause it. 431 



the most brilliant glass-like appearance, assuming very many 

 forms, but all more or less bell-shaped : on the mantle are pointed 

 parts, but never assuming the appearance of tentacula ; they are 

 of a rather bluish colour, dart about with great rapidity, and are 

 very restless ; when moving they contract and dilate the umbrella 

 part, very much like the small medusae, and can draw in or stretch 

 out their ovarian appendages, which may be seen in various stages 

 of growth : the first were collected on the 20th July, and thence 

 to 5th August; figs. 13 & 14, later. 



It will be seen that in all, when the appendages are so far ad- 

 vanced as to become elongated beyond the umbrella, they have 

 grape-like clusters with larger ones making up separate gi'oups ; 

 and generally associated with these are small yellow comb-like 

 objects, tipped on the lower edge with very minute grains. These 

 comb-like appendages vary in number, frequently three to each 

 group, at times altogether wanting ; this is a very rare case ; at 

 other times extremely abundant ; they are attached to fine rough 

 thread-like strings which are very jelly-like. I have seen them 

 break into innumerable specks, and have, I think, observed 

 signs of life in them after being thus broken up, though on this 

 head, from their extreme delicacy and smallness, I would not 

 speak positively. 



The tube which is inserted in the umbrella, and from which 

 the ova are suspended, is generally near one side ; in the upper 

 part of this, as in all well advanced (see fig. 14 h), I observed a 

 coloured globule, at times red, occasionally dull green ; this moves 

 a little sometimes. I observed also other globules of similar 

 colours passing down the tube from the top, amongst and into 

 the ova, traversing the whole length of the bunches ; and when 

 two of these globules touched each other, they did not amal- 

 gamate as water would, but passed round one another, and each 

 held on its own course. 



Surrounding the speck at fig. 14 6, I noticed exceedingly 

 minute comma-like cilia in rapid motion ; they were not nume- 

 rous : these I have seen in many specimens. From the great 

 transparency of the whole of these objects, even when one passed 

 behind the other, all may be seen clearly, provided a little darker 

 shade is over it ; they can only be seen in certain positions ; 

 practice tells the best method of managing them. Although my 

 description has extended to such a length, I have still an in- 

 teresting part to notice: hitherto figs. 10, 11 and 12 have been 

 unnoticed ; I was observing fig. 9, attentively, when all at once 

 the centre appendage left the jelly-like umbrella, and assumed 

 the shape of fig. 10; in a short time it formed like fig. 11, and 

 then changed to fig. 12. There was a rupture in the upper part 

 at a, where I observed an abundance of delicate cilia in active 

 motion, so delicate that they would have escaped observation 



