BY R. VON LENDENFELD, PH.D. 969 



I cannot enter further into the classification of the Beroids, but 

 ] am quite sure that Neis represents a Genus distinct from Beroe, 

 and in many points represents a transition from Beroe to the Lobatte 

 and even to the Ta^niatse. 



For sixty yeai's no one seems again to have observed Neis 

 cordigera, perhaps the most beautiful animal in the rich Fauna of 

 Port Jackson. I have repeatedly found single specimens of it, 

 this spring, accompanying the swarms of flapped Ctenophore 

 described by me as Bolina Chuni (8), in those parts of the harbour 

 to which the currents bring great numbers of pelagic animals. 



MORPHOLOGY. 



Our animal differs from the Genus Beroe principally in two 

 points. It has large flaps which extend far beyond the pole of 

 the nerve centre, and the vascular system of the gallert in one 

 half of the body is not sepai'ated from that of the other half 

 as according to Chun (3, p, 57) in the case of Beroe. 



The largest specimen attained a length of 200 — 250 mm. The 

 animal is about 2 — 2| times as long as broad and 4 — 5 times as 

 long as thick. 



Form . 



In shape Neis is, in so far intermediate between Beroe and 

 Lobatae, as the nerve centi-e does not lie at the extreme end of the 

 body but is overlapped by two flaps which are almost \ as long as 

 the body. The body appears to be more compressed than in most 

 of the species of Beroe. The flaps have an almost triangular 

 transverse section as the paddle-ribs which form the edges are 

 so near together on the inner side, that they almost touch 

 each other. Viewed on the broad side the body appears almost 

 square, setting aside the flaps. Slightly contracted in the oral 

 third it widens slightly towards the end. The longitudinal 

 section vertical to the stomach-plane has a nearly oval contour. 

 Also the narrow sides are widest in the middle. Towards 



