W. G. Van Name — Bermuda Ascidia/ns. 349 



Piplosoma, it must be admitted that lie gives nothing, either in the 

 figures or description, which demonstrates or even supports the cor- 

 rectness of his position, and in his figure the numerous bladder-cells 

 and the objects which he considers included " shells of Globigerinas" 

 bear a most extraordinary resemblance to the bladder-cells and 

 spicules of Cystodytes. Moreover, in his description he indicates 

 the existence of a number of testes. Diplosoma has but two. 



The European Cystodytes dellechiaice Delia Valle has also a violet 

 color, and I do not feel very sure that the species here described is 

 really distinct from it. 



Genus Distaplia Delia Valle, 1881. 



Colony fleshy, often lobed or pedunculated. Test penetrated by 

 vascular processes of the zooids. Zooids arranged in distinct and 

 usually rather simple systems. 



Branchial sac large, with four rows of long stigmata. 



Atrial aperture with a large languet. 



Stomach ovate. Intestinal loop not twisted. 



Reproductive organs on the right side of the intestinal loop. 



The larvae in this genus are remarkably large. The eggs are 

 received into an elongated diverticulum of the atrial cavity which 

 is developed for the purpose, the incubatory pouch, where they 

 undergo development. The youngest embryos are always found in 

 that end of the pouch farthest from the body of the parent. 



Distaplia bermudensis, n. sp. 



Plate XLIX. Figures 15, 18 and 19. Plate LIX. Figures 108 and 111. 



Plate LXII. Figure 130k. 



Specimens of Distaplia from Bermuda are very variable in respect 

 to the form and color of the colony, yet I cannot find ground for 

 believing that more than one species occurs there. Bancroft (1) 

 reports a similar variability in the Pacific species, D. occidentalis. 

 There is reason to suspect that the number of species of this 

 genus occurring in European waters has been considerably over- 

 rated, through failure to make allowance for such variations. 



I am unable to identify these specimens with any of the species 

 already described. Some of the colonies closely resemble I), vallii 

 Herdman (6), but it is doubtful whether that is a good species, and 

 moreover, if the stomach of that species resembles that of I). magni- 

 larva Delia Valle, as Herdman says, it must be pitted or folded on 

 the inner surface. 



