﻿April, 1857.] 



ELLIOTT SOCIETY. 



157 



near its junction with the bell, and gradually thins away as it 

 passes over the slenderer portion of the organ. I have observed 

 contractions of these Medusae, independent of the hydra, but they 

 are slow and slight, and the Medusae never become free. 



They are united several together in an irregularly alternate 

 manner upon a stem, which grows out from the side of the polyp- 

 form. The number of bunches thus encircling the untentaculate 

 zone of the polyp is variable, but they are numerous. 



The polyp is slender, the expansion which bears the lower circle 

 of tentacula does not much exceed in diameter the width of the por- 

 tion above it. The lower circle of tentacula (which appears to be 

 uniserial) is composed of twenty or more uncontractile tentacula, 

 the upper, which is at least bi-serial, contains eighteen or more. 

 The tentacula of the lower whorl are whitish, slender, and ex- 

 ceeding the polyp itself in length; those of the upper are more 

 reddish, short, and rather clumsy in appearance. The stem on 

 which this poi)^p-head is mounted is generally about two inches 

 in height, sometimes however exceeding this and reaching nearly 

 three inches. 



At the time of leaving the bell of the parent the young are 

 provided with from three to eight or a few more long tentacula, 

 four or five times the length of their own bodies. These belong 

 to the lower circle, and are usually carried turned backwards act- 

 ing as locomotory organs. The oral tentacula are also apparent, 

 three or four in number around the mouth, and according to my 

 observations, clavate at this stage, at their extremities, like the 

 oral tentacula of Pennaria. After moving about a short time, the 

 basal end of the body elongates and the young hydra attaches 

 itself, after which it attains its maturity by increasing the length 

 of the stem, multiplying tentacula and developing medusa-buds. 



Found the year round at low-water mark and a little above it, 

 attached to the rocks of a jettee exposed to the ocean on Sullivan's 

 Island. I have also taken it, growing luxuriantly, from the bot- 

 tom of a schooner which had been lying about six months in the 

 harbor. The budding of the Medusae begins at an early stage of 

 the larva's growth, so at nearly all times of the year either the 

 elegant grape-like bunches of medusae or the budding knobs which 

 represent them are to be found. I have observed the Medusae 

 fully grown and casting their larvae as early as March 10th, and 

 as late as September 13th, during all which time thousands of 

 larvae are continually shed, and in consequence thousands of new 



