496 ME. E. t. BROWNE ON [Mar. 17, 



divisious, as most of the specimens taken could thus be separated 

 in the process of sorting ; but the whole collection formed one 

 continuous series. 



The Adult Stage. — Forbes first described the adult form from a 

 few specimens which he obtained at Dartmouth (Aug. 31, 1845), 

 at Portland, and about 15 miles off the Devonshire coast. I have 

 not seen any other records of the capture of this medusa. I do 

 not think it is a native of our seas, but rather an occasional visitor. 

 It was very abundant in 1803, but I did not see a single specimen 

 during my visit to Plymouth in September 1895. Its home may 

 be in the Mediterranean or in the warmer parts of the Atlantic. 

 The description given by Gegenbaur of Liriantha mucronata from 

 the Mediterranean corresponds very closely to the British species. 

 I do not intend here to give a complete description of the adult, 

 as it may be easily identified from the description and figures 

 given by Forbes. It possesses the usual eight sense-organs 

 (" Ilorbliischen "). The heart-shaped generative organs are 

 nearer the margin than Forbes's figures show them to be. Haeckel 

 places great importance upon the c/lossoconus (" Zungenkegel "), 

 which is the conical termination of the peduncle inside the stomach. 

 He divides the genus Liriantha into two subgenera, one with and 

 the other without the glossoeonus. Forbes's Liriantha is placed in 

 the subgenus without the glossoeonus, as Forbes never described 

 it; but I have seen it in the Plymouth specimens. Unless 

 specially looked for, it may be easily passed over. 



Mr. E. J. Allen, in a letter from Plymouth dated 9th January, 

 1896, informs me that specimens of Liriantha appendiculata were 

 taken at Plymouth on 7th and 8th of January. It is very 

 interesting to note the occurrence of this medusa in the middle of 

 winter. 



NAECOMEDUS/E. 

 Fam. SoLMARiD^. 



SOLMAEIS, sp. ? 



Two early stages of a medusa belonging to this genus were 

 taken about three miles south of Plymouth on 7th September, 

 1895. The umbrella of the largest specimen about 2 mm. in 

 diameter, with 15 lappets. There is a brownish sense-organ 

 (" Horkolbchen ") in the centi-e of each alternate lappet. Fifteen 

 tentacles, one between every two lappets. No genital ring present. 

 Umbrella and tentacles colourless. The other specimen, about 

 1 mm. in diameter, with 14 tentacles, 14 umbrella-lappets, seven 

 sense-organs, one on each alternate lappet. The figure (pi. xx. 

 fig. 7) given by Haeckel of Solmaris coronantha is very much like 

 the appearance of the young medusae taken at Plymouth. 



The medusae belonging to the genus Solmaris are not natives 

 of our cold seas. Most of the species inhabit the tropical seas ; 

 three, however, have been found in the Mediterranean, and one 

 (iSi. coronantha) oS the Canary Islands. 



