no Memoirs of the Indian Museum. [Vol. V, 



conical and apparently imperforate. Nothing is known of the development of the 

 gonads. 



Type-species. — Syncoryne filamentata , Annandale. 



The genus is at present known only from brackish water on or near the east coast 

 of India. 



Dicyclocoryne filamentata (Annandale). 



(Plate ix, figs. 4, 4«, 46, 4c.) 



1907. Syncoryne filamentata, Annandale, Rec. Ind. Mus. I, p. 139, figs. 1, 2. 



The colonies of this species often have a peculiarly lax appearance owing to the 

 fact that the rhizome is adherent only in places and is sometimes produced into long 

 filamentous free processes that bear terminal polyps. These, or rather the stalks 

 from which they arise, may again become attached at their base to the object on which 

 the colony is growing, so that loops of free rhizome are formed. The whole colony, 

 except of course the hydranths, has a fairly thick chitinous investment. The 

 rhizome branches sparingly and does not anastomose. Short vertical stems are pro- 

 duced at intervals, but as a rule bear only one (terminal) hydranth. A second 

 (lateral) polyp is, however, sometimes present. The stems and rhizome, including 

 the free portions of the latter, are often irregular in outline without being exactly 

 annulate. Their diameter does not exceed 019 mm. 



When fully expanded the hydranths are slender and spindle-shaped. They have 

 a well-developed sheath of ectocyst at their base. As a rule there are about four 

 tentacles in the proximal and six in the distal circle, but the number is variable and 

 individual hydranths are occasionally found in which they are aborted and reduced 

 in number. When normally developed they are capable of great extension and even 

 in contraction the cylindrical part of the tentacle is longer than the terminal swell- 

 ing. The latter is very large, circular and somewhat flattened The largest hy- 

 dranths are probably never more than 2 '5 mm. long. 



The gonosomes are borne at the bases of the proximal ring of tentacles or 

 distinctly below them at the base of the hydranth. 



The medusa is about 04 mm. in diameter when liberated. Its bell in life is 

 slightly deeper than broad. In profile, the sides, except in extreme contraction, are 

 nearly straight and the upper outline moderately convex. The cross-section is sub- 

 quadrate. The surface is minutely tuberculate but has no conspicuous projections 

 or specialized organs. The velum is broad. There are no marginal processes of 

 any kind between the tentacles. 



The tentacles are incapable of great elongation and in all circumstances remain 

 shorter than the bell. They are somewhat flattened from without inwards and bear 

 on each side a series of minute projections which decrease in size from above down- 

 wards. The terminal expansion, which is full of large nematocysts, is circular and 

 somewhat flattened from above downwards. The tentacle-bulbs are relatively large 

 but lack all traces of ocelli. As a rule they contain one or several large nematocysts. 

 Immediately below them there is a broad band of stinging cells ; below this band 



