708 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 14 



gesting Disporella. In some elongate central areas I have observed an 

 ovicell at one end covered by the irregular cancelli, while the other 

 end of the area, free from the ovicell, shows the rounded, partially 

 closed cancelli. This throws some doubt on the complete validity of 

 Disporella, as infertile subcolonies would undoubtedly be referred to 

 that genus. On the complex zoaria the fertile discs are easily seen 

 because of their irregular secondary cancelli, and I have not been able 

 to find any evidence of ovicells in discs with the uniformly rounded 

 cancelli. 



The ovicells occupy all or a part of the central area and can often 

 be seen through the large irregular cancelli ; occasionally two ovicells 

 are present in the same area. The ooeciostome is a short, thin-walled, 

 erect tube, situated near the border of the central area. 



Collected by Dr. E. Y. Dawson at Mazatlan, Mexico (the type 

 locality), about 23° 11' N. Lat., shore collection, 4 zoaria, 1 on a shell 

 fragment, the others on algae ; the ones on algae are much thinner than 

 those on solid substrata. 



Hancock Station 1714-49, two miles east of Entrada Point, Mag- 

 dalena Bay, west coast of Lower California, 24°32'30"N, 112°01'45" 

 W, at 17 fms, more than 100 complex zoaria, in a single dredge haul. 



Genus DISPORELLA Gray, 1848 



Brood-chambers, one or more, occupying interradial areas and some- 

 times extending over parts of the central area; cancelli thick-walled, 

 partially closed by an "iris-like" growth of the rim toward the center 

 but leaving always a small round aperture, never closed by a perforated 

 flat calcified membrane; lateral zoarial budding is common. As in 

 Lichenopora the functional zoids may be in radiating series, uniserial, 

 biserial or multiserial and connate or non-connate, or they may be more 

 or less in quincunx. Genotype, Discopora hispida Fleming, 1828:530. 



Key to Species of Disporella 



1. Radii uniserial or the tubules in quincunx 2 



Radii with 2 or more (2 to 4) series of tubules, sometimes 



arranged in short clumps 5 



2. Tubules not connate, except sometimes at the base only ... 3 

 Tubules closely connate to their tips, rays longer 4 



