824 MR. E. T. BROWNE OX BRITISH MEDUS.E. [NoV. 16, 



Some of the other synonyms refer to raedusae which do not belong 

 to the genus Laodice, but two of them clearly do, viz., 'ITiaiimanitas 

 mediterranea, Gegenbaur (1856), and Cosmetria punctata, Haeckel 

 (1864). Haeckel, however, in his monograph (1879), rightly con- 

 siders that his species is identical with that of Gegenbaur, and 

 therefore may be regarded as a synonym of it. 



It is a matter of considerable dithculty with our present know- 

 ledge of the genus to fix upon characters which may be regarded 

 as sufficiently permanent to distinguish one form from another. 

 Although I obtained last year several dozen fine specimens in 

 Valencia Harbour, yet I am not able to determine for a certainty 

 to which species they belong. 



I first used the specific name L. calcarata for a specimen taken 

 off tlie Isle of Man in 1894, and at tfiat time had not investigated 

 the literature connected with Laodice cruciata of Haeckel. As I 

 do not wish to change again the specific name of the British speci- 

 mens the name is still retained for the Irish specimens, which 

 would fairly well agree with any of the four species mentioned, 

 except in coloration, which, amongst medusse, is not usually a good 

 character for the determination of species. 



The Valencia specimens ranged from 3 mm. to 27 mm. in dia- 

 meter and show various stages in development. 



The umbrella is changeable in shape, and cannot be relied upon 

 as a specific character. In the smallest specimen the umbrella is 

 bell-shaped, about as long as broad, but it broadens as it grows, as 

 the following measurements show :— 9 mm. wide, 7 mm. long ; 

 20 mm. wide, 12 mm. long ; 25 mm. wide, 13 mm. long. Amongst 

 the larger specimens, 20-25 mm. in width, the shape of the um- 

 brella is very variable, from bowl-shaped to watchglass-shaped. 

 The velum increases in width along with the growth of the um- 

 brella, measuring 2-2| mm. in specimens from 20-25 mm. in 

 diameter. The mouth in the smallest specimen has four lips with 

 a slightly folded margin. The size of the lips and the folds of the 

 margin increase with the size of the medusa. In the largest speci- 

 mens the lips are 2-4 mm. in length and have a beautifully folded 

 margin. The mouth opens direct into a flat stomach, out of which 

 run the four radial canals. 



The generative cells develop in the wall of the radial canals, and 

 the ova in the adult are visible, extending nearly from the stomach 

 to within a short distance of the ring-canal. The smallest speci- 

 men (3 mm. in diameter) just shows the commencement of the for- 

 mation of the gonads, by an increase in the size of the wall of the 

 canals, forming a short fold which extends from the stomach and 

 just arches over the top of the umbrella-cavity. It gives to the 

 stomach the appearance of possessing four short lobes. The growth 

 of the gonad continues along the radial canal until it nearly reaches 

 the ring-canal. As the generative cells increase in size, the wall 

 of the canal also increases in size, until it forms a large hollow tube 

 with cnunpled sides. In each of the specimens examined there 

 was a short portion of the radial canal, next the ring-canal, free 



