| OCR Text |
Show 1903.] MEDUSA FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA. 189 course are numerous irregular masses or enlargements, which may be gonad masses; preservation is not sufficiently good to make certain of this. They are a bright orange-yellow in colour, and become more numerous on the upper part of the radial canals towards the apex of the bell. The four short tentacles are thick and tightly contracted up to their small rounded tentacle-bulbs. Colour.-Radial canals, and the masses along their course, bright orange-yellow. Proboscis, tentacles, and tentacle-bulbs yellowish brown. Habitat.-St. Paul's Island, Pribyloff Islands, collected by Kincaid. D. SIPHONOPHORA. I. MONOPHYID^E Claus. MUGGIJEA Bausch. 1. MuGGLEA KOCHII Chun. Synonym Biphyes chamissonis Huxley. Specific description.-The single specimen obtained is nearer M. kochii than any other Monophyid, although not agreeing with Chun's description in all respects. Only one nectocalyx is present and there is no sign of another being detached. It is more pointed at the apex, and the oil reservoir is larger in proportion than those of M. kochii. The wings of the nectocalyx are almost smooth, except that portion below the hydrcecium which is wavy in outline. The contracted condition of the hydrosoma will not warrant a more definite determination. Habitat.-Puget Sound, collected by Shearer. Discussion.-Muggicea kochii is of great interest, as it was from the study of this form that Chun (9) found the interesting life-history of the Monophyids to consist of three generations, in this case of M. kochii, Eudoxia eschscholtzii, and Mouophyes primordialis. Chun's statement (9) that the nectocalyx of Muggicea is very similar to the anterior swimming-bell of Diphyes and Diphyopsis is confirmed in this case. The position and shape of the parts correspond almost precisely with Mayer's figure (28) of Diphyes bipartita, sp. nov. (fig. 114). In this connection it m ay be noted that Fewkes (13, p. 834) in a footnote records that " specimens of a Diphyes (?) with but one nectocalyx are very common in the Bermudas and Tortugas." Mayer also says he found a Diphyopsis which has no posterior swimming-bell, and suggests the possibility that " no such structure exists." May not both these species be Muggicea'? The specimen above described differs from Haeckel's (19) |
