I4 ZOANTHARIA 



Occurrence: (37 N., 7i°54'W. 2021 faths. U. S. Fish. Comm. Albatross St. 2226 from U. S. 

 Nat. Mus. R. M.). 



Dimensions: On the single specimen I have had for examination the carcincecium was 

 2-5 cm. long and 23 cm. broad. The largest contracted polyp had a height of 1*4 cm. and a breadth 

 at the base of 12 cm. 



Colour grayish white purple or orange tinted at summit (Verrill) — in alcohol: whitish. 



External appearance: The carcincecium is snail-shaped with wide opening. On the inner 

 side there seems to be a distinct cuticle as in E. paguripliihis. On the dorsal side of the carcincecium 

 emerge 3 large polyps (fig. 8, PL 2) resembling those of E. paguripliilns. They are broadest at the 

 base, narrower upwards, somewhat wider in the distal part. The capitular region is uneven in the 

 contracted state and does not form such a distinct, flat disk as in E. incriistatits, being more like 

 E. pagiiriphilus. The capitular furrows are very indistinct in all the polyps. On each side of the 

 entrance to the carcincecium is a polyp, one of which covers the apex of the shell, which in contrast 

 to the other, totally disintegrated part of the gastropod is quite fresh and occupies the greater part 

 of the gastrovascular cavity of the polyp - - the third is placed between these two polyps but a good 

 deal further back on the first spiral of the carnincecium. Ventral polyp not developed. All the polyp- 

 part as well as the carcincecium is strongly incrusted with foraminifera. 



The oesophagus is not long, the siphouoglyphe distinct with well-developed hyposulcus. 



Anatomical description: The ectoderm of the body-wall is of moderate height, continuous 

 and contains some equally broad nematocysts with rounded ends and greatly twisted thread (length 

 24 — 29 fi, breadth 10 ft). Presumably they are almost always present (the ectoderm was partially 

 removed). The mesoglcea is thick, fairly homogeneous with here and there scattered spool-shaped 

 cells, but no cell-islets (if present they are very scarce PL 5, fig. 7). The entoderm is almost as broad 

 as the ectoderm. The incrustation, which consists almost exclusively of foraminifera, though also of 

 sand-grains, fills out the ectoderm as also the mesoglcea in the body-wall. 



The sphincter (PL 3, fig. 1) is strong, mesoglceal, finely meshed with the muscle-fibres running 

 transversely. In the distal part it occupies the whole of the mesoglcea. 



The ectoderm of the tentacles has the usual structure. The spirocysts are extremely numerous 

 in it and the thick-walled capsules are very scarce, if the few met with are at all normal constituents 

 of the ectoderm. The ectodermal longitudinal muscles are strong, the mesoglcea thin. 



The ectoderm of the oesophagus is high and contains numerous typical nematocysts (length 

 24—26 ft). Whether other capsules also occur, I am not able to say with certainty owing to the strong 

 contraction of this region. The mesoglcea is thin as usual. The siphonoglyphe and the hyposulcus 

 have a thick mesoglcea and generally a thin ectoderm. 



The number of mesenteries is not large, especially when we consider that the polyps generally 

 have a considerable diameter. In the specimen examined by me — the section had a diameter of 

 07 cm. — the number was 46, 13 macro and n micro on the one side, 12 macro and 10 micromes- 

 enteries on the other. The mesoglcea of the mesenteries is thin; the longitudinal muscles on a part 

 of the mesentery form very few but fairly deep folds especially on the micromeseuteries and directive 

 mesenteries. The parieto-basilar muscles are weak and not found on the body-wall. The micromes- 



