﻿ix, d. 3 Light: Some Philippine Scyphomedusae 227 



For these reasons, I have decided to consider it as a mature form 

 which necessitates the formation of the new genus to which 

 I have given the name Lobonemoides, because of its resemblance 

 in certain characters to Mayer's genus Lobonema. 



The classification of a form such as this brings in question 

 the purpose of systematic work. As I see it, the function of 

 such work is to bring before scientific workers the forms of 

 life in such a way as to make possible their differentiation 

 and consequently to allow of their being placed in a general 

 system and used as a basis for scientific inductions. The 

 binomial system of nomenclature has been adopted as the most 

 practical method of accomplishing this end. The placing of 

 scientific data before the world is the essential part of such 

 a work. The mere introducing into the literature of the group 

 of a new generic or specific name is the smallest part and 

 should be but a means to an end. It seems to me, therefore, 

 that the possibility that these names may in the future become 

 synonyms should not prevent the worker from accomplishing 

 this purpose. For example, I might have described the above 

 species as a doubtful, immature form of L. mayeri. But this 

 denies a place in the classification and nomenclature of the group 

 to a very interesting medusa form, which in so far as present 

 data is concerned is a new species of a new genus and concern- 

 ing which there may be no more data for years. It practically 

 buries it from all but a very few workers; whereas, if it be 

 given a generic and specific name it receives a place in the 

 nomenclature of the group and is thus brought to the attention 

 of all workers, and the question as to whether it is a mature 

 form or not will, no doubt, be sooner settled and the medusa 

 put in its proper place. If it be a growth form, the name 

 which I give it will become a synonym and be discarded, but 

 it will have accomplished the purpose for which it was given. 



RHIZOSTOMATA LORIFERA Vanhoffen 

 Genus RHOPILEMA Haeckel, 1880 

 Rhopilema visayana sp. nov. (figs. 14, 15, and 16). 



Type. — No. C. 2423, zoological collection, University of the 

 Philippines. From Taytay Bay, Palawan. 



The bell is from 200 to 400 mm. in diameter, and is hemi- 

 spherical or more convex than a hemisphere. The central por- 

 tion which forms the upper wall of the stomach is thick and stiff, 

 while the remainder is very thin and flexible. The exumbrella 

 is covered with numerous small, pointed, spinelike projections. 



124685 3 



