56 BRITISH HYDR01D ZOOPHYTES. 



base, or occasionally on the stem, the horny 

 receptacles or capsules of these being ringed 

 or wrinkled. The reproductive bud is a free 

 medusa with four canals radiating from the 

 stomach to a canal around the margin of the 

 bell. At each of these four points, there 

 is given off a tentacle. Midway between 

 these are swellings representative of other 

 and rudimentary tentacles. On either side of 

 these the eye-like lithocysts occur. The 

 bell is a very beautiful object ; transparent 

 and finely spangled with opaque white dots. 

 The mouth of the bell is partly closed by a 

 fine membrane, the veil. 



Obelia genimdata, Linnaeus. 



1 specimen in liquid. 



specimen The genus obelia differs from the 

 22. genus clytia mainly as regards the 

 reproductive bud, which, as in the previous 

 specimen, is a medusa, but the bell in obelia 

 is almost flat or saucer shaped, and the 

 tentacles around the bell are far more 

 numerous. The creature has a peculiar habit 

 of swimming sometimes with the mouth 



