MEDUSA. 45 
Nores on THE Specimens. ‘Sournern Cross’ CoLLEcTION. 
Specimen A.—This is the smallest specimen in the collection. The diameter of 
the central disc is about 50 mm. and its height nearly 40 mm. The umbrella is 
covered with a thick layer (about 7 mm.) of transparent jelly, and through it one can 
see the dark brown conical-shaped stomach. At its apex there is a short (nearly 
2 mm.) spike-shaped projection. That portion of the Medusa which lies below the 
coronal furrow is not in good condition. The pedalia are present, but the lobes, 
tentacles, sense organs and pigment have either completely or nearly disappeared. 
The tentacular pedalia are about 10 mm. in width and 13-15 mm. in length (measured 
from the coronal furrow to the base of the tentacle), The distance from the coronal 
furrow to the distal edge of the marginal lobes is estimated at about 28 mm. The 
specimen is too much macerated to show any gonads. 
* Specimen B.—The external appearance of this specimen shows that it was 
originally placed mouth downwards in a tin can with straight sides and a flat bottom. 
The specimen is in a fairly good state of preservation, but spoilt through having been 
squeezed into a small can and stained with iron rust. 
The central disc is about 75 mm. in diameter, but it has lost its natural shape, as 
the sides are straight and the top flattened. There is a thick layer (about 8 mm.) 
of jelly, which suddenly thins out to about 1 mm. in thickness, marking the apex of 
the umbrella. The tentacular and rhopaliar pedalia in general appearance resemble 
closely those in Prof. Haeckel’s figures of Periphylla hyacinthina (1880, Taf. 24, 
fig. 11) and of P. mirabilis (1882, Plate 18, fig. 1). The tentacular pedalia are about 
25 mm. in length and 15 mm. in width. The rhopaliar pedalia are about 33 mm. in 
length (measured from the coronal groove to the rhopalium) and about 13 mm. in 
width at the proximal end (next furrow), and about 8 mm. wide near the distal end. 
They have a somewhat wedge-shaped appearance, and are longer and narrower than 
the tentacular pedalia. The tentacles are broken off close to the pedalia, and the 
rhopalia are entirely gone. Some of the marginal lobes appear to be in fairly good 
condition, but have completely lost their pigment. The only conspicuous pigment left 
below the coronal furrow is a triangular patch within the tentacular pedalia, at the 
base of the tentacles. The distance from the coronal furrow to the distal edge of the 
marginal lobes is about 50 mm. The gonads are in a very immature condition. They 
are just narrow bands about 2 mm. in width. 
Specimen C.—This is a large adult in alcohol, with the jelly very much shrunken 
and of a rather opaque whitish colour. The disappearance of the dark brown pigment 
and the thinness of the jelly, which resembles a thick tough skin, are no doubt due to 
the method of preservation. 
The specimen has lost its natural shape, so that measurements are of little 
scientific value, but are given to indicate the size of the specimen. The central disc 
has a broad conical appearance, and its height is not less than 90 mm. The total 
2B 2 
