220 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



4. Zooecial orifice nearly semicircular, not raised into a tube, pore immersed Microporellidse. 



Zooecial orifice round, raised into a semierect tube, near the base of which the pore is placed, raised 



on a prominence Porinidae. 



5. Lower margin of primary orifice with a definite sinus, or when the sinus is obsolete the cells more 



or less erected and the aperture guarded by a projection bearing an avicularium on the side, 



Myriozoidse. 



Lower margin of primary orifice straight, or occasionally rounded, without a definite sinus, though 



the overgrowth of a secondary margin may simulate this condition; the lower or lateral margins 



of the orifice may bear denticles, and avicularia may be present in relation to the orifice; zooecia 



not erect Escharidae. 



Family MTE\hJE Sraitt, 1867. 



This family is easily distinguished by the slender creeping stolon which is expanded here and 

 there into fusiform enlargements from which arise tubular upright extensions. The zooecium consists 

 of the erect tube plus the expansion. The orifice is at the top of the erect part, and a membranous 

 area occupies one side of the terminal portion. There is only one genus. 



Genus .£TEA Lamouroux, 1812. 



^tea anguina (Linne). [PI. xxi, fig. 14, 14a.] 



Lian^ 1858, p. 816 (Sertularia anguina). 

 Verrill and Smith 1874. p. 710. 

 Verrill 1879c, p. 28. 



Zoarium delicate, creeping, white, the erect portions of the zooecia arising almost at right angles 

 to the stolonate base. Terminal portion of the tube slightly more expanded, more or less spoon- 

 shaped, finely punctate, one side membranous; stalk about twice as long as the spoon-shaped part, 

 more or less curved or nearly straight, distinctly annulate; dilated basal portion finely punctate. 

 Ooecium subterminal, opposite the membranous area, a round bladder-like transparent sac, through 

 which the cells of the dividing egg may be easily seen. 



An abundant species, but inconspicuous on account of its small size and trailing habit of growth. 

 Found on stems of various animals and algas as well as on shells and stones. Dredged at from i to ig 

 fathoms, and found on piles at low water throughout the region. Old colonies on shells frequently 

 have the erect portions broken off, in which case there is a fairly close resemblance to Hippothoa divaricata 

 but the finely punctate character of the expansion, as well as the condition of the apertiu-e, will 

 distinguish it at once. 



The ooecia are very rarely present, so that the species was long described as possessing none. Fine 

 colonies taken August 9, 1906 (Fish Hawk station 7567), on Pennaria stems, have numerous ovicells, 

 containing embryos from the 4-celled stage to the ciliated larvae ready for extrusion. 



Family EUCRATEID^ Hincks, 1880. 



Zoarium phytoid; zooecia arranged in a single seriesor in two series back to back; orifice subterminal 

 more or less oblique ; no appendages. 



KEV TO GENERA. 



Zoarium with creeping base and erect branching shoots; zooecia uniserial, branches arising on tlie 

 front side of a zooecium below the orifice. Fertile cells dwarfed, arising on the front of normal zooecia, 

 ovicells terminal Eucratea. 



Zoarium erect, phytoid; zooecia regularly biserial, back to back, branches arising from the side of the 

 zooecium near the upper end ; ooecia none Gemellaria. 



Zoarium erect; zooecia uniserial or occasionally biserial, back to back. Branches arising from the 

 back of a zooecium and facing in the opposite direction. Fertile cells small and placed back to back 

 against the ordinary zooecia, ooecium terminal Scruparia. 



