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Show 474 MR. E. T. BROWNE O N [Mar. 17, to any known species, as none belonging to the genus have been described with medusa-buds. The specimens were very much alike, but one was twice as large as the other. The umbrella of largest specimen about 1 mm. in diameter, globular, about as long as wide; at the aboral end there is a slight rounded swelling, formed by a mass of mesoglcea. The manubrium reaches nearly down to the velum ; stomach large and situated upon a stout peduncle, nearly as long as the stomach; mouth round, not divided into lips. Four medusa-buds upon the stomach (one bud nearly fully developed, the four tentacles visible with brownish basal bulbs). On the margin of tbe umbrella four tentacles, when fully expanded about twice the length of umbrella, with blackish basal bulbs. At the free end of each tentacle a very large brownish bulb containing nematocysts. Nematocysts are also scattered along the whole length of each tentacle. Cells are present on the peduncle which may be nematocysts. The margin of the umbrella between the tentacles is nearly straight, giving a quadrangular appearance, with a tentacle at each corner. Velum broad. EUPHYSA AURATA, Forbes. Euphysa aurata, Forbes (1848) ; Haeckel (1879) ; Holt (1891); Crawford (1891) ; Maas (1893) ; Browne (1895). Euphysa mediterranea, Haeckel (1879). U p to the present time this medusa has not been recorded from many localities. It bad only been found in the northern portion of the British area until this spring, when I found it at Valencia. In the ' Beport on the Medusae of the Isle of M a n ' I have given a description of several specimens, and have shown that a great variation in colour occurs in some specimens, and that Euphysa mediterranea is only a brilliantly coloured form of Euphysa aurata. At Valencia this medusa was first taken on April 16th, 1895, and after this date it was often seen in the tow-net, especially towards the end of May, when it became more abundant. Most of the specimens belonged to the early stages, and were much smaller than any taken at Port Erin. The smallest specimens were about | m m . in length, and the average-sized ones about 1-1^ m m . in length. The. shape of tbe umbrella, of the tentacle-bulbs, and of the large tentacle is similar in all the stages: thus there is no difficulty in identifying the earliest forms. The smallest specimens usually possess very little colour, a few are quite colourless, generally the tentacle-bulbs have a pale yellowish tint, but in a few specimens a bright yellowish colour existed. The specimens 2-3 m m . in length possessed more colour. One specimen 3 m m . in length had yellowish tentacle-bulbs, with a deep orange-coloured centre. Many of the early naturalists described the pigmented basal bulbs as ocelli. I prefer to retain the term ' ocellus' for definite eye-spots, as clearly seen in Sarsia, which also has pigmented basal bulbs. |
