J. W. Fevikes — Deep-Sea Medusa. 177 



themselves and passing to the recorded facts in relation to 

 bathy metrical distribution, we find no more satisfaction from 

 this consideration. It would appear that the strongest argu- 

 ments for the existence of nomadic deep-sea medusse of the 

 Acraspeda are found by Haeckel in the following genera.* 

 The names in brackets are authorities for distribution. 



1. Pectanthis : Surface (Haeckel). 



2. Pectyllis : 200-600 fms. (Haeckel). 



3. Pectis : 1260 fms. (Haeckel). 



4. Cunarcha: "Possibly captured in drawing up the lead," 



(Haeckel). 



5. Aeginura : " 2150 fms. apparently" (Haeckel). 



6. Periphylla : Surface (Fewkes). 



7. Periphema : 1975 fms. (Haeckel). 



8. Tesserantha: 2160 fms. (Haeckel). 



9. Atolla: 2040 fms. (Haeckel), surface (Fewkes). 



10. Nauphanta : 1425 fms. (Haeckel), surface (Fewkes). 



Of the above genera the Albatross has collected many speci- 

 mens of Periphylla and Atolla from the surface of the ocean. 

 Greely collected a species of JVauphanta from the icy waters 

 of the surface of Lady Franklin Bay ; Periphema is so closely 

 allied to Periphylla that we may well hesitate to accept its 

 limitation to the great depth at which it is recorded (2160 

 fms.) ; Pectyllis is recorded from 200 to 600 fms. In the 

 present use of the word deep-sea this genus can hardly be 

 regarded as preeminently a deep sea medusa. There remainsf 

 Pectis (1260 fms.) and Tesserantha (2160 fms.) as the only 

 genera in the above list which can be regarded as purely 

 deep-sea in their habitat. Each of these is described from 

 single specimens and the former is closely allied to well-known 

 surface genera. The foundation in observation for a belief in 

 the existence of nomadic deep-sea medusae, as far as recorded 

 depths go, is certainly not all that might be desired. 



Possibly a stronger argument for the existence of deep-sea 

 Acraspeda may be drawn from the structure of the interest- 

 ing free genus of Lucernaridse {Lucernaria bathyphila Haeck.). 

 This species is recorded from 540 fms. The fixed Lucernaria} 

 are found in shall ow water. The argument drawn from the 



* Op. cit., Introduction, p. ii. 



f Cunarcha was"" possibly captured in drawing up the lead," and Aeginura, 

 2150 fms., "apparently." 



As a bit of positive evidence that Atolla is a deep-sea medusa, Mr. Thomas Lee, 

 who has seen the genus when collected, informed me, after I had shown him a 

 specimen of Atolla, that he remembers it in deep-water trawls. In new collec- 

 tions made by the Albatross in 1885-86, Atolla in several instances is recorded 

 from the "Surface;" and one of those described in the collections of 1883-84 

 is recorded from the Surface. 



Ato. Jocr. Scl— Third Series, Vol. XXXV, No. 206.— Feb., 1888, 

 lOoi 



