ANTHOZOA OF THE WOODS HOLE REGION. 249 



be found without from one to a half dozen or more of the parasites within the canals, and during other 

 summers scarcely a single specimen can be found at all. During the entire summer of 1907 the writer 

 sought from June to September for larvae, but without finding a trace. In November of the same year 

 Mr. Vinal Edwards and Dr. Sumner found them in immense numbers, almost every ctenophore being 

 infected. 



Morphology of the larval stage: Polyp slender and wormlike, and variously coiled in the canals of 

 the ctenophore . Length of larger specimens 20 to 30 mm., diameter i to 2 mm., varying under conditions 

 of contraction. Tentacles 16 ( ?), color pinkish or flesh color. 



CERIANTHUS Delle Chiaje, 1841. 

 Cerianthus americanus Verrill. [PI. xuv, fig. 10..] 



Ceriantkus americanus Verrill, Mem. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. I, 1866, p. 32; McMurrich, Jour. Morph., vol. iv. 1890, 

 p. 131: Parker, Am. Nat., vol. xxxrv, igoo, p. 756. 



Originally described by \'erriU from a southern habitat, this species has but rarely been fotind at 

 Woods Hole. The writer found a single specimen several years ago, but failed to secure it. In a collec- 

 tion of Edwardsia taken at Ram Island, Woods Hole, in 1902, there was found a single specimen which 

 was turned over to the writer for identification. It resembled at first a specimen of Sagartia leucolena, 

 or a very small specimen of S. modesta. A careful examination of the specimen, however, proved it 

 to be an immature specimen of Cerianthus. The size was only about 35 mm. in length by about 5 mm. 

 in diameter, in contraction. Sections showed no signs of gonads, and there were but 45 to 50 tentacles; 

 all of which go to show a condition of immaturity. The sectional figures were made from the specimen 

 and leave no doubt as to its identity. 



The specimens originally described by Verrill were of very large size — 2 feet or more in expansion. 

 McMurrich, who has studied specimens from the same general region, has not been able to confirm 

 Verrill 's account as to size. Specimens examined by the writer from the Woods Hole region agree 

 very closely with McMurrich 's account in this particular. His .account gives the length as not more 

 than 20 cm., with a diameter of 1.5 to 2 cm. 



In the matter of color there seems to be considerable variation. The specimen from which this 

 account is chiefly derived was in life translucent and pale flesh color. Another specimen examined by 

 the \vriter was brownish, especially near the oral portion, the aboral region being paler. A purplish 

 tint is not unusual along with the brown. 



Habitat: This seems to be almost exclusively at or just below average tide line and in muddy 

 flats. The species is of biuTowing habit, these biUTows extending at an angle for considerable depths. 

 The creature secretes a tubular lining for its biurow-, which is composed of mucus secreted by ectodermal 

 glands, in which are also agglutinated extruded nematocysts, grains of sand, etc. In the aquarium 

 the specimens also secrete a similar tube, but, according to McMturich, of much lighter texture. 



ACTINAUGE Verrill, 1883. 

 Actinauge verrilli McMiu-rich. 



Actinauge nodosa, Verrill, Am. Jour. Sci., vol. vi, 1873, p. 440; Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. Xl, 1883, p. 50. 

 Actinauge verrilli, McMurrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. xvi. 1S93, p. 184. 



Among the collections at Woods Hole I found four specimens of this species, two of which were 

 taken by the A Ibatross in 1885 at station 2506 from a depth of 2 7 fathoms. The other two were taken by 

 the Fish Hawk in 1899 at station 7070. These specimens differ more or less in general external features. 

 The Albatross specimens (contracted) measured 5 and 7 cm. in height by about 4 and 5 cm. in diameter. 

 The warty nodules, or verrucae, were very prominent and characteristic. They were disposed in about 

 24 longitudinal rows in the smaller specimen. The capitular ridges were somewhat less evident and 

 definite but about 40 in number. The larger specimen was much more contracted, making it imprac- 

 ticable to determine exactly the number and disposition of these structiu'es, but the longitudinal rows 

 seemed to be about 28 in number. 



