238 BULLETIN OF THE BXJREAU OP FISHERIES. 



HALCAMPA Gosse, 1858. 



Halcampa farinacea (Verrill), Andres. 



Edward siafarmacea VerriU, Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 43, 1866, p. 118; Inv. An. Vineyard Sound, 1873. p. 510, 739. 

 Halcampa farinacea Andres, Fauna u. Flora Golfcs Neapel, bd. ix. Parker, Am. Nat., vol. laaav, 1900, p. 750. 



This species has been reported by Verrill as occurring off Gay Head in 19 fathoms. Its chief range, 

 however, seems to be north of Cape Cod. The present writer has not taken it in the Woods Hole region . 

 The following brief description is chiefly compiled from that of Verrill (vide supra): " It is a cylindrical 

 species, about an inch long, and from o.io to 0.12 inch in diameter, remarkable for having only 12 

 tentacles, which are equal, unusually short, thick, and blunt." Tentacles rather translucent, with 

 transverse bars on inner side of brownish bands or spots. Alternating with these are bars or spots 

 yellowish or white. Disk pale yellow, varied with small brown spots, mostly forming radial rows from 

 mouth to tentacles. 



Habitat: Found only on muddy bottoms. 



EPIZOANTHUS Gray, 1867. 

 Epizoanthus americanus Verrill. 



Zoanthus parasiticus Verrill. Mem. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. I. 1864, p. 34. 

 Epizoanthus papiUosus Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1S67, p. 337. 



americanus Verrill. Am. Jour. Sci.. 2d ser., 1871. p. 361; Inv. An. Vineyard Sd., 1873, p. 446. 510; Bull. Mus, 

 Comp. Zool., vol XI. 1S83, p. 60. 



paguriphilus VerriU. Am. Jour. Sd.. 1883, p. 137; Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.. vol. xi. p. 61. 



parasiticus Hertwig. Rept. Chal. Exp., vol. vi, 1882, p. 116. 



This interesting actinian is one of very few among our fauna having a definitely colonial habit. 

 The species has a rather extended range of distribution, as may be inferred from the above list of refer- 

 ences, and the recorded localities from Maine to Maryland. It is also more or less abimdant, Verrill 

 reporting "many thousands of specimens taken off Nantucket, Marthas Vineyard," etc. Its range of 

 depth seems to be from 25 to 400 or more fathoms. The species, while most familiar in association with 

 the hermit crab, has apparently considerable variability as to habitat. Verrill has reported them as 

 in some cases investing the tubes of Hyalincecia, in others forming a similar investment of stems or 

 branches of Paramuricia grandis. Those taken in the Woods Hole region have all been associated with 

 hermit crabs. Several species have been described, among them E. farasiiicui, E. papiUosus, E. ameri- 

 canus, E. paguriphilus , etc.; but it is safe to say that among these several are identical. And it may 

 be doubted if of the entire list herein referred to there is hardly more than varietal distinction, the 

 variation expressing for the most part the influence of the varying habitats of the examples concerned. 



The many excellent figures of the species easily available in the reports of Verrill, Hertwig, and 

 others, obviate any special necessity for a duplication in this report. 



PARACTIS Milne-Edwards, 1857. 



The genus was established by Milne-Edwards and has been distinguished by the following char- 

 acters, given in merest outline : Body smooth, devoid of papillae or marginal spherules, numerous longi- 

 tudinal fiUTows on the column; tentacles of about the same size and character. 



Paractis rapiformis (Lesueur). 



Actinia rapiformis Lesueur. Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.. Phil., 1817. vol. I. 



Parac/i^ra^j/ormii Milne- Edwards. Hist. Nat. des Corallaires. 1857. p. 249. 



Actinia rapiformis Verrill, Mem. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. i, 1864. p. 35. 



Paractis rapiformis Verrill. Inv. An. Vineyard Sound, 1873, p. 36J. 738; Am. Jour. Sci., vol. m, p. 436. Andres, Le 



Attinie, Faiua u. Flora Golfes Neapel, bd. ix 1S83, p. 362. McMurrich. Stud, Biol. Lab. Johns Hopkins Univ., vol. 



IV, p. 63. 

 AmmophUactis rapiformis Verrill, Am. Join-. Sci., 1899, vol. vn. p. 213. Parker. Am. Nat., 1900, vol. xxxiv, p. 753. 



This species has not been taken by the present writer but is known to occtir within the region. 

 According to Verrill, its distribution ranges from North Carolina to Long Island Sound. The following 

 brief description is taken from that of VerriU and may serve as a summary of the chief characters of the 



