194 



Part III. — Sixteenth Annual Report 



(4.) The Ccelenterata. 



the ctenophora and hydromedusjl. 



The next groups of organisms that are; numerically important and 

 which may be specially noticed are the Ctenophora and Hydromedusae. 

 These include the well-known and beautiful Pleurobrachiaj which some- 

 times occurs in such immense numbers that they seem to monopolise the 

 whole of the water-space where they are. The swarms of these things 

 that are sometimes met in with by the Garland are so great that the 

 tow-nets, if unfortunately in use at the time, are found, when hauled on 

 board, to be literally full of these crystal spheres, while little of anything 

 else is found in the nets. The appearance of such a mass of Pleuro- 

 hracliia — each globe, by the rapid movement of its delicate cilia, scintil- 

 lating in the light — is wonderful, and cannot be accurately described. 

 Beroe is another of the Coelenterates that was sometimes met with in con- 

 siderable numbers, but not usually in such immense swarms as Pleuro- 

 hrachia. Various other forms, such as Sarsia, Geryonopsis, Thaumantias, 

 &c., were also observed during the years referred to, but from want of 

 time no attempt was made to differentiate the species, and they are there- 

 fore usually all included under the name of Ctenophora : on a few occa- 

 sions only are Pleurobrachice and a few of the others specially mentioned. 

 There are two hundred and ninety-six records of Ctenophora, including 

 Hydromedusae, among the lists of tow-net gatherings for the seven years, 

 and their distribution for the months and stations is shown by the 

 annexed Table : — 



Table XL, showing the Distribution of the Ctenophora and Hydromedusae, 

 indicated by the Tow-net Eecords for the Years, Months, and 

 Stations. 



Three Inner Stations. 



Years. 



Number of the Records for each Month of each Year. 



or Years 

 bations. 



Jan. ' 



Feb. 



March. 



April. 



May. 



J une. 



July. 



August. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. 



Totals f( 

 and S1 





1889, . 



2 



2 









1 



2 



2 







1 





10 





1890, . 







1 



1 







2 



2 





2 



1 





9 





1891, . 



1 



1 







1 



1 









2 



2 





8 



I. 



1802, . 



1 



2 



1 







2 



1 







1 



1 



2 



11 





1893, . 



2 



1 





1 



1 



1 



1 



2 



2 



2 



1 





14 





1894, . 





2 













2 









2 



6 





1895, . 





1 











1 







1 





1 



4 



Total number of Records for all) 

 the Months, / 



6 



9 



2 



2 



2 



5 



7 



8 



2 



8 



6 



5 



62 





1889, . 



1 











2 



2 



2 







1 





8 





1890, . 





2 







2 





2 



1 





2 



1 





10 





1891, . 



1 











1 



1 



1 



1 



1 



2 





8 



HI. 



1892, . 



1 





1 



1 



2 



2 



1 





1 



1 



2 



2 



14 





1893, . 



2 



1 







1 



1 





1 



2 



1 



2 



1 



12 





1894, . 





1 









1 





2 









4 



8 





1895, . 





1 











2 







1 





2 



6 



Total number of Records for all \ 

 the Months, / 



5 



5 







5 



7 



8 



7 



4 





8 



9 



66 



