Siphonophora of Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. 17 
Family VELELLIDA, Brandt, 1835. 
Genus Velella, Lamarck, 1816. 
Velella velella, Linnzus, 1758. 
Velella spwrans (Forskal, 1775). 
In accordance with the strict application of the rules of priority, 
V. velella seems to be the correct name of this species. Specimens were 
obtained at Station 51 (1° 27’ N., 27° 56’ W., temp. 80°1°, Dec. 8th, 1902), 
and at Station 53 (0° 55’ N., 29° 22’ W., temp. 79°8°, Dec. 10th, 1902). One 
well-preserved specimen is unlabelled, but has possibly been caught at 
Station 52 (1° 22’ N., 28° 10’ W., temp. 80°, Dec. 9th, 1902). According to 
the Zoological Log! Velellae were also seen during the voyage at— 
Stdieolew on oo 8) oo: 20) W. Temp. 79° Wee: 13th, 1902. 
Stati 95, 32° 15'S; 47° 30° W. Temp. 749° Dec. 27th, 1902. 
Stat. 360. 40° 59'S. 55°04’ W. Temp. 61°6° Jan. 25th, 1904. 
Stat. 362. 43°33'S. 55°07’ W. Temp. 60° Jan. 27th, 1904. 
If the specimens are regarded from their longer side, the sail or crest runs 
from N.E. to 8.W., as Agassiz found to be invariably the case in hundreds 
of Velelle which he observed. Out of seventy-seven specimens examined 
by Chun, seventy-one were of the type described, but in six the crest ran 
from §.E. to N.W. Lens and van Riemsdijk * state that in all five specimens 
of V. pacifica, collected by the Siboga expedition, the direction of the crests 
was 5.E. to N.W. 
The three Velellz from the “ Scotia,’ Station 51, were partly macerated ; 
they measure respectively 42, 66 and 68 mm. in length, 16, 26 and 36 mm. 
in breadth, and the crest is 16, 29 and 23 mm. in height. Nine specimens, 
all of which are macerated, so as to leave only the chitinous* supporting 
substance, were taken at Station 53. The average dimensions of the 
“Scotia” Velelle are, approximately, length 54 mm., breadth 20 mm., and 
height of crest 20 mm. On four of the specimens from St Paul Rocks, 
numerous white spiral coils, measuring from 2 to 9 mm. in diameter and 
being of a beady appearance, were observed. A microscopic examination 
showed them to be segmented eggs, probably those of a gastropod. As 
regards the distribution of the genus Velella in the Atlantic, the Flannan 
1 Scott. Nat. Antarc. Hxped., “Sci. Results Voyage ‘ Scotia,’” vol, iv., pt. i. (1908). 
2.C. Chun, Die Siphonophoren der Plankton-Expedition, Kiel and Leipzig (1897). 
3A. D. Lens and T. van Riemsdijk, The Siphonophora of the Siboga Expedition, 
Leiden (1908). 
4M. Henze, “Notiz ttber die chemische Zusammensetzung der CGeriistsubstanz von 
Velella spirans,” Hoppe Seyler’s Zs. physiol. Chemie., L.V, (1908), 
VOL. XIX, B 
