BEANIA 4I3 



from the Cape of Good Hope (92.3.16.6) which agrees very closely with Kluge's 

 description and figure. B. vanhoffeni, as represented by this specimen, also differs from 

 var. unicornis in the absence of the spinous process on the operculum. It has no avi- 

 cularia. Branched rootlets are present. B. vanhoffeni is evidently nearly related to 

 B. inermis but does not agree exactly with either the typical form or with var. 

 unicornis. 



B. paucispinosa O'Donoghue and de Watteville (1935, p. 208), which also came from 

 South Africa, is probably identical with B. vanhoffeni, as noted by Marcus (1937, p. 63). 

 The erect distal pair of marginal spines is not so stout as in B. vanhoffeni. Although the 

 authors state that the method of interzooecial union is different from that of B. inermis, 

 their description of the connecting tubes would apply equally well to B. inermis. The 

 Discovery specimen compared by O'Donoghue and de Watteville with B. paucispinosa 

 belongs to the present variety, specimens with avicularia not having been found at that 

 time. 



Okada and Mawatari (1938, p. 454) compared their Japanese species, B. octaceras, 

 to B. vanhoffeni. From their figure I should judge their species to be related to the 

 Membraniporidae rather than to Beania. In many ways it resembles certain species of 

 Pyrulella discussed by Hastings (1930, p. 710). 



6. Beania fragilis (Ridley). 



Chaunosia fragilis Ridley, 1881, p. 45, pi. vi, fig. 1; Hincks, 1881J, p. 133. 

 Station distribution. Sub- Antarctic: South Atlantic Ocean, Sts. WS 84, WS 85. 

 Geographical distribution. Magellan Strait (Ridley); Falkland Islands (Discovery). 



These specimens agree exactly with Ridley's type specimen. They differ from Beania 

 hirtissima (Heller, 1867, p. 94) in the greater length of the zooecia and in their erect 

 position. There may be four or six connecting tubes and they all spring from the 

 extreme proximal end of the zooecium, giving an appearance of branched stolons, as 

 shown by Ridley. In B. hirtissima there are six connecting tubes, and the anterior 

 lateral pair springs from about the middle of the side of the zooecium, only the distal 

 half of which is erect. The rootlet in B. fragilis originates at the point from which the 

 connecting tubes radiate, which corresponds to the point of origin of the rootlet in 

 B. hirtissima. 



The spines of B. fragilis are numerous and long and, although two sometimes originate 

 very close together, are unbranched as noticed by Ridley. The marginal spines over- 

 arching the opesia are rather more slender and pointed than those which, as in the type, 

 are scattered over the lateral and distal parts of the basal surface. Spines are rare on the 

 central part of the basal surface. 



The operculum is well chitinized. It has a thickened edge (shown white in Ridley's 

 figure) bearing a blunt, median triangular process. It is quite distinctly marked off from 

 the frontal membrane. 



Despite Ridley's contrary statement, there is no gizzard. 



DXXII !j 



