262 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



I Gytceandra areolata, (Alder 15). 

 Hydractinia areolata, Alder (3). 

 Podocoryne areolata, Hincks (16), Airman (4). 



I place temporarily under the name of Gytceandra 

 areolata, until further evidence can be obtained, a number 

 of medusae taken at Plymouth and Port Erin. They all 

 belong to the same species and show different stages of 

 development. The youngest stage is somewhat like 

 Gytceandra areolata. The uncertainty mainly arises on 

 account of the great rareness of the hydroid stage and the 

 plentifulness of the medusae in Port Erin Bay, Alder first 

 described the hydroid stage under the name of Hydrac- 

 tinia areolata. He obtained his specimens on a dead 

 shell of Natica alderi, brought in by a fishing boat at 

 Cullercoats, and Norman sent him another specimen from 

 Shetland. Alder has seen the young medusae leave the 

 colony. The medusa has a moderately deep, subglobose 

 umbrella, with nematocysts scattered upon the outside ; 

 four radial canals ; four short perradial and four shorter 

 interradial tentacles, and eight adradial bulbs on the 

 margin of the umbrella ; four clusters of nematocysts 

 near the mouth. 



Alder is the only person who has seen the young medusa, 

 and since his observations no one has recorded this 

 species. Hincks states that Hodge has taken the hydroid 

 with medusae at Seaham. Allman, however, omits this 

 reference in his monograph, and I cannot find any state- 

 ment referring to this species in Hodge's papers. 



Hincks removed Hydractinia areolata to the genus 

 Podocoryne, where it still remains. There are three 

 species of Podocoryne recorded for Great Britain — P. 

 carnea, P.proboscidea and P. areolata. Podocoryne carnea 

 is the commonest ; P. proboscidea was taken by Hincks 

 at Ilfracombe, but has not been since recorded. 



