64 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



There are about 50 tentacles, and 64 short, blunt papilla; upon the bell margin. 

 32 of the tentacles arise from the side of the bell at a little distance above the 

 margin. They are short and stiff and stand out sharply at right angles to the 

 bell (see Figure 3). These tentacles are sprinkled over with wart-like pro- 

 tuberances of a deep purple color. A pair of otocysts, each containing a single 

 otolith, are situated at the base of each of these stiff tentacles. Thus the 

 medusa possesses 64 otocysts. In addition to the stiff tentacles there are about 

 20 others that are long and flexible, and arise from the bell margin. They 

 are covered with rings of nematocyst cells closely coiled in a helical manner 

 (see Figure 12). These tentacles are very flexible and are constantly being 

 expanded to a length of 4-5 times the diameter of the bell and then contracted 

 with a sudden jerk. The velum is small. There are 4 straight, narrow, radial 

 tubes. The circular vessel is peculiar in that it gives off blindly ending, cen- 

 tripetal branches or diverticulse, that penetrate inward into the substance of the 

 beU. There are in all 28 side branches. 4 of these are each about half as long 

 as the radial tube. 8 others are only one quarter as long as this, and the 16 

 remaining ones are still shorter. These diverticulse are situated immediately 

 above the short, stiff tentacles (see Figure 13). The gonads are found occu- 

 pying the distal half of the radial canals, but do not reach quite to the bell 

 margin. They hang downward into the bell cavity as a complex system of 

 flnger-shaped papillae. The proboscis is very slender and the lips prominent. 

 It extends for about three quarters of the distance of the height of the bell 

 cavity. The gelatinous substance of the bell is slightly greenish in color. The 

 entoderm of the proboscis, genital organs, circular tube, and tentacles is opaque 

 yellow-green and reddish purple. Thei'e are 4 reddish-purple spots upon tlie 

 proboscis just between the radial canals. 



This medusa was common at Key West from May 27- June 10, 1897. It 

 was extremely active in all of its movements and wonderfully hardy in cap- 

 tivity. One specimen lived for more than a week in a small glass bowl, the 

 water of which was not changed. It seems probable that both this species and 

 Gonionemoides geophila prefer the muddy and impure waters of the Florida 

 Coast, for while they were both common at Key West, they were not seen at the 

 Tortugas either in 1897, 1898, or 1899. 



LIRIOPB, Lesson, 1843. 



Liriope scutigera. McCradt. 



Liriope scutigera, McCrady, J., 1857, Gynin. Charleston Harbor, p. 106. 

 Xantliea scutigera, Haeckel, E., 18G4, Geryoniden, p. 24. 

 Liriantha scutigera, Haeckel, E., 1879, Syst. dcr Medusen, p. 287. 



This medusa is not very common at the Tortugas, Florida. It is quite 

 abundant at Charleston, South Carolina, and we liavc taken it at various places 

 among the Bahama Lslamls, and off the Cuban Coast, during the winter 

 months. 



