346 THE FORBESIAN iEQUOREA. 



microscope shows them to be furbelowed slips of 

 membrane, as in the former species, but here they are 

 much finer, and instead of being equal and con- 

 tinuous, are graduated and interrupted. Each trian- 

 gular lobe has them longest at its middle point, 

 whence they decrease in length on either hand ; and 

 there is a space between every lobe and the next, 

 which is quite destitute of fringe. 



The marginal vessel is very slender, and carries 

 about thirty-six very fine thread-like tentacles, 

 usually contracted in close spirals to J inch in length, 

 but sometimes depending to the extent of several 

 inches, in which case they seem as fine as a spider's 

 thread. They are not symmetrically disposed, nor do 

 they bear any regular relation of position to the radi 

 ating vessels. Their colour is pale pink or flesh 

 colour. Their texture is minutely granular, and their 

 bulbs present a similar appearance to those of the for- 

 mer species. As in that also, so here, there are 

 numerous auditory or visual capsules, with from one 

 to four spherules in each. 



This very fine Medusa commonly floats at the 

 surface in captivity ; and seems to have little locomo- 

 tive power, contrasting strongly with the minute 

 Turres and Oceania that shoot along with vigorous 

 leaps in various depths. It maintains a pretty uniform, 

 not very rapid, contraction of its sub-umbrella, but 

 with occasional intervals of quietude. I observe that 

 at the beginning of contraction after repose, the action 

 of one side is frequently not simultaneous with that 

 of the opposite, but presently they become so. 



At night I tried its luminous power. When I 



