NO. 5 FRASER : HYDROIDS 223 



Halecium flexum, new species 

 Plate 25, Fig. 10 



Trophosome. — Colony small, 1.0 cm, delicate, simple, with but few 

 scattered branches of different lengths. The stem is divided into regular 

 internodes by oblique nodes, each internode giving rise to a hydrophore, 

 or a branch in place of it, near its distal end, the hydrophores regularly 

 alternating. The hydrophore is attached to the stem by a short pedicel, 

 which is turned out to such an extent that the margin of the hydrophore 

 is at an angle of approximately 45° with the stem; the margin is definitely 

 but not abruptly flaring. In many cases, duplication takes place; when it 

 does, the pedicel of the secondary hydrophore, or at least the first of these, 

 if there are more than one, has a conspicuous curve just where it leaves 

 the previous hydrophore; it is as though all of the pedicel except the 

 basal portion had been shoved upward, out of line with the base. This 

 is the most characteristic feature of the trophosome. 



Gonosome. — Not observed. 



Distribution. — Station 14-33, off La Playa, Santa Elena Bay, Ecua- 

 dor, 2-7 fathoms; off White Rock, Isla Partida, Gulf of California, 45 

 fathoms. 



Remarks. — This species does not resemble any of the American spe- 

 cies hitherto described very closely. The whole colony is somewhat like 

 the simple portion of the stem of H. miiricatum (E. and S.) but this 

 species has not the characteristic curve of the secondary pedicel, although 

 the whole pedicel is moved somewhat towards the upper margin of the 

 hydrophore. H. muricatum is a heavy, coarse, fascicled species, and since 

 it appears to be confined to the higher latitudes, the two species can 

 scarcely have veiy close relationship. 



Halecium halecinum (Linn.) 



Sertularta halecina Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., 1767, p. 308. 

 Haleciutn halecinum Eraser, Hyd. Pacific Coast, 1937, p. 104. 



Eraser, Hancock Hyd., 1, 1938, p. 42. 



Eraser, ibid., 3, 1938, p. 133. 

 Distribution. — Off San Nicolas Island, 28-31 fathoms. 



Halecium insolens Eraser 



Halecium insolens Eraser, Hancock Hyd., 1, 1938, p. 43. 

 Eraser, ibid., 3, 1938, p. 133. 

 Distribution. — Landing on Balboa Peninsula, Newport Channel, 

 Calif., intertidal; north of Isla Partida, Gulf of California, 10 fathoms. 



