CTENOPHORES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST OF NORTH AMERICA 5 
late in ontogeny and grow outward from the sides of the 8 meridional 
canals and may anastomose, thus producing a network connecting all 8 
of the canals, and forming a complex circum-oral canal-system. This 
remarkable similarity in respect to their canal-systems, together with 
their marked compression in the funnel-axis, may, I think, be taken as 
an indication that the Beroide and Cestide are related and derived 
from a common stock. The condition exhibited by the fusion of the 
paragastric and meridional systems of canals in the young Beroide 
and in mature Cestide is shown in fig. 3, the lettering being similar in 
purport to that of fig. 2. 
II. 
III. 
! 
y! 
1! 
1 
ty 
im 
I 
ul 
tl 
a= 
msyv 
Fic. 3.—Diagram showing character of canal system in mature Cestidz 
and young Beroide. Inthe Beroide the meridional and oral canals 
finally give off side branches which may anastomose, and form circum- 
oral connectives, but these branches are not shown in the figure. 
We may classify the Ctenophore in six orders as follows: 
. Cyp1ppip#: Body spherical or cylindrical, or widest in the tentacular diameter. 
Two long tentacles with or without side branches. The tentacles arise 
from pit-like depressions in the sides of the body, which constitute sheaths 
into which the tentacles may be withdrawn. The meridional and para- 
gastric vessels do not fuse, but end blindly. No oral lobes, and no auricles. 
GANESHID#: Moser, 1907, Zool. Anzeiger, Bd. 31, p. 788; also, 1908, Revue 
Suisse de Zool., tome 16, p. 12. 
Body compressed in the tentacular axis. The oral forks of the 2 paragastric 
canals form a complete (?) ring-canal around the mouth, and the 8 merid- 
ional canals join this ring-canal. The interradial and tentacular canals 
arise directly from the funnel. A tentacle-sheath is present. There are 
no oral lobes and no auricles. The only known form is Ganesha elegans 
Moser, from the Malay Archipelago. 
This remarkable order ie ce to be intermediate in its general character 
between the Cydippide and Lobate, but the fusion between the merid- 
ional canals and the oral forks of the paragastric vessels recalls the condi- 
tion seen in Cestidz and Beroide. The Cestidz, however, lack a circum- 
oral ring-canal, such as appears to exist in Ganesha. 
Losat#: With 2 oral lobes in the stomodzal axis and 4 ribbon-like projec- 
tions (auricles), 2 from each tentacular side of the body above the mouth. 
Body compressed in the funnel (tentacular) axis. The 4 subtentacular 
meridional canals fuse with the ring-canal which the oral forks of the 2 
paragastric canals form around the mouth. The 4 subventral meridional 
canals fuse in pairs to form loops through the oral lobes, each canal 
being connected with its fellow of the opposite side of the same oral 
