﻿April, 1857.] 



ELLIOTT SOCIETY. 



173 



but I did not find in it any thing to represent the digestive cavity 

 as distinct from the sexual gland. The whole seemed to be a 

 single cavity in which were well marked ova with germina- 

 tive vesicle and dot, and I saw a granule moving within it at one 

 time as if slowly impelled by cilia. 



The foregoing imperfect description, was taken from the dis- 

 connected medusas of two individual communities of this species 

 found in a jar, the day after their collection. The parts being all 

 separate and dead it is impossible to give any precise information 

 as to the mode in which they are grouped together when alive. 

 Also, the digestive trunk (tubulus suctorius) of the stock-medusa 

 was gone. These two were the only specimens I have encoun- 

 tered. They were taken on the same day in the end of January. 



DIPHYES. Cuvier. 



The basal portion of the communities in this genus, is a trans- 

 parent mass containing two swim-bells of which one is usually 

 greater than the other. Between these in the substance of the 

 double-belled base is a small canal or cylindrical cavity, from the 

 lower part of which originates a long hollow stem, finding exit 

 by a small cavity between the openings of the two bells. This 

 stem which is very contractile, bears the digestive trunks, bracts, 

 sexual medusae and hollow tentaculiform individuals, so grouped 

 that one of the bracts or leaf-shaped individuals overlies and 

 covers an individual of each other kind. The sexes are 

 found upon separate individuals according to Kolliker, who be- 

 lieves also that the female medusa becomes free. 



Diphyes and Abyla appear to be intermediate links between 

 Eudoxia and allied genera (which approach nearest to the budding 

 Corynidian and Tubularian Medusae,) and the otherPhysophoridae. 

 It would seem probable from the figure of D. Boryi that the in- 

 ferior or hinder swim-bell is homologous with the single locomo- 

 tive medusa in Eudoxia. 



Distribution. Atlantic Ocean, South Lat., North Pacific, 

 South Sea, Mediterranean and Atlantic, North of the Equator. 



I have observed a species of this genus in our harbor, near in 

 outline to Eschscholtz's D. angustata, but quite distinct from 

 Kolliker's D. Sieboldii, from which it differed in having the in- 

 ferior bell shorter, and less projecting downwards. I have seen 

 two specimens, both small about two-tenths of an inch in height. 

 The stem was never so extended as to allow an examination of 



