1897.] MR. E. T. BROWNE ON BRITISH MEDUS.?:. 817 



by Forbes upon the radial canals mny possibly be parasitic 

 Distoma. 



The specimen which I captured at Valencia helps to clear 

 up these conflicting statements. It has generative cells upon 

 the manubrium, as described by Haeckel, and it has also the 

 linear swellings upon the radial canals, as described and figured 

 b}'' Eorbes. There can be no doubt about the swellings upon the 

 manubrium being formed of generative cells, but 1 am not able to 

 make a definite statement with regard to the swellings upon the 

 radial canals. Sections show that the swelling is formed by a 

 considerable enlargement of the endoderm cells, which are crowded 

 with small nuclei. In general appearance the swelling resembles 

 an immature gonad, as usually seen upon the radial canal of a 

 Lejptomedusa, but more specimens must be examined to settle the 

 question whether there are generative cells among endoderm cells 

 of the swellings or not. I have a few small specimens in my 

 collection which have again been examined, and I have found in 

 all of them traces of the swellings upon the radial canals. These 

 specimens were preserved before examination and by a method not 

 suitable for histological work. 



As the Valencia specimen does not agree exactly with the 

 descriptions given by Forbes and Haeckel, 1 think it is best to de- 

 scribe it and give a figure of it, especially as Forbes has figured an 

 immature stage : — Umbrella bell-shaped, about 8 mm. in length 

 and 6 mm. in width. Manubrium, when expanded, very slender, 

 about twice the length of the umbrella, with a small apical knob. 

 At the end of each of the four tentacles there are large batteries 

 of nematocysts, forming a large terminal knob when the tentacle is 

 contracted (fig. 2 b) ; but when expanded (fig. 2 a) the terminal knob 

 is seen to be composed of three distinct clusters of nematocysts. 

 The basal bulb of the tentacle is of a dark reddish brown, \Aith a 

 large black ocellus. Two masses of spermatozoa surround the 

 manubrium, one extending from the mouth along the stomach, 

 and occupying about one third the length of the manubrium, the 

 other starting a short distance away and occupying another third 

 of the manubrium. On each of the four radial canals, at about one 

 third of the distance from the stomach to the ring-canal, is a small 

 linear swelling, which Forbes regarded as an ovary, but that state- 

 ment still needs confirmation. 



? Ctt^andba areolata, Haeckel. (Plate XLVIII. figs. 1, 1 a, 

 and 2.) 



In my Eeport on the Medusae of the Isle of Man (Trans. Liver- 

 pool Biol. Soc. 1895), I have described under the name of Cytce- 

 andra areolata several stages of a medusa which has not yet been 

 figured. I erred somewhat in using the name Cytceandra areolata 

 for this medusa. It is Haeckel's name for the medusa budded oflF 

 from the hydroid Podocoryne areolata (Alder), but up to the present 

 there is not the slightest proof that my specimens are derived from 

 that hydroid. I have but little doubt that eventually they will 



