CLASSIFICATION OP MEDUSA. 81 



eggs. In 1835, Sars represented medusiform bodies similarly produced, from the bases 

 of the tentacula of the Corymorpha nutans ; in this case the Medusoids closely resembled 

 Steenstrupia* In the same year, Dr. Loven observed the formation of Medusoids on the 

 Syncoryne, the animals produced being very similar to Medusse of the genus Sarsia. About 

 the same time, Sir John Graham Dalyell described the formation of Medusa-like buds on 

 Tuhularia. In 1840, Professor Steenstrup, when in Iceland, found a polype, which he named 

 Coryne fritillaria, from whose head bell-shaped bodies, closely resembling our Steenstrupia 

 in form, hang, and were regarded by him as individual animals.f In 1843, M. F. Dujardin 

 communicated to the ' Annales des Sciences Naturelles' a short but interesting paper, " On a 

 New Genus of Medusaires, proceeding from the Metamorphosis of Syticoryne." He calls 

 the parent animal Stauridia, and the medusoid, which he saw detach itsfelf and swim away, 

 Cladonema. He remarks, that it is closely allied to the genera Oceania, Thaumantias, 

 and Cyt<sis. In 1844, Professor van Beneden, of Louvain, published his 'Researches on the 

 Embryogeny of the Tubulariae ;' and in his memoir described and figured medusiform-bodies 

 produced from species of Tuhularia, Eudendrium, and Syncoryna. Those of the last-named 

 genus resembled Sarsia ; those of the two former had close affinities with Li%%ia, especially 

 the medusoid oi Eudendrium. In 1846, Sars, in his ' Fauna Littoralis Norwegise,' figured the 

 medusoids of Syncoryna Sarsii, Podocoryna carnea, and JPerigonymus muscoides, all closely 

 resembling Sarsice. That of the Podocoryna comes very near the Medusa papillata figured 

 by Abildgaard in the ' Zoologia Danica.' 



Similar observations have been made, from time to time, on the CampanularicB. Ellis 

 appears to have been the first to notice the productions of Medusoids in that tribe, though 

 he evidently did not understand what he saw. In 1834, Mr. Lister communicated his 

 valuable microscopic observations on Zoophytes to the Royal Society, and in his paper 

 describes and figures Medusa-Uke animals in course of production from Campanularice. In 

 1836, Sir John Graham Dalyell distinctly proved and made known the production from 

 Campanularice of free animals like true Medusse. He named the creature " Animalculum 

 tintinnabulum."J In 1839, Nordman announced his observation of the free Medusa condition 

 of young Campanularice.^ In 1843, Van Beneden, in his 'Memoirs on the Campanularise 

 of the Coast of Ostend,' entered into fuU details on the subject. The figure which he 

 gives of the medusoids in this tribe reminds us strikingly of Tima and Geryonia. He remarks 

 that the Medusa marina of Slabber, the type of the genus Obelia of Peron and Lesueur, 

 is a young Campanularia. During the same year, similar phenomena were observed by 



KoUiker. 



Various interpretations were offered of these phenomena. Many zoologists followed 

 Muller, and regarded them as eggs. Others held them to be gemmules. Ehrenberg put 

 forth the strange theory that they were female polypes, a view supported by Loven and 

 Krohn. Van Beneden considered them young budding polypes, a notion held previously by 



* Best, og Jagt., pi. 1, fig. 3, g, 3,/. 



t Steenstrup, Alternation of Generations, Mr. Busk's Translation, p. 37, pi. 1, fig. 41-3. (Ray 



Society.) 



X Ed. New. Phil. Journ., vol. xxi. 

 & Comptes Rendus, 1839. 



11 



