Edwin Ray Lankester an Ernst Haeckel, London, 17. Juni 1880
11 Wellington Mansions
North Bank. N. W.
June 17th
Dear Haeckel,
Enclosed is a rapid description of the most lovely little medusa, Fancy hundreds of medusae suddenly appearing in fresh-water in the middle of London.
The otolilths & their canal like sacs are very peculiar. I am not || yet quite sure but I believe the canal-like sacs are of endodermal origin as well as the otolith cells.
I shall send you specimens treated by osmic acid.
The medusae are still flourishing in the tank at Regents Park. I hope soon to get the eggs. They die in water which is of the ordinary temperature – I shall publish a || few figures in the Juli Heft of my Journal. But I require some longer time to work at the sections.
[2 drawings]
I am entirely indebted to your beautiful system der Medusen, || for the means of at once determining the true position of this interesting new genus. = I thought at first that the otocysts were like those of Leptomedusae, which they much resemble. But the lithogenuous cells are endodermal – & I think the lining of the canals is also endodermal.
Ever yours
E. Ray Lankester