144 



BULLETIN" 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



10 fathoms, coral and shells). The Challenger Expedition obtained 

 the types in latitude 10° 3G' S.; longitude 141° 55' E., 6 fathoms. 

 The Siboga Expedition (Sluiter, 1909) obtained it at several stations 

 in the vicinity of latitude 6° S.; longitude 114° E., 80 meters. 



Genus NEPHTHEIS Gould, 1856. 

 [=Oxycorynia von Drasche, 1883.] 



NEPHTHEIS THOMPSONI (Herdman), 1886. 



Plate 24, fig. 4. 

 1856. Nephtheis (?), Gould, Mollusca and Shells (U. S. Exploring Exped., 



under Wilkes), Atlas, p. 16, figs. 621-621&. 

 1SS6. Colella thompsoni Herdman, Rep. Voy. Challenger, vol. 14, Tuniacta, 



p. 94, pis. 10-13. 

 1891. Colella thompsoni Herdman, Journ. Linn. Soc. London, Zool., vol. 23, 



p. 611. 

 1907. Oxycorynia thompsoni Michaelsen, Hamburg Magalhaenisch. Sam- 



melreise, vol. 1, p. 8. 

 190S. Nephtheis, sp. Habtmeyer, Zool. Annaleu, Wiirzburg, vol. 3, p. 51. 

 1909. Oxycorynia thompsoni Caullery, Bull. Sci. France Belgique, vol. 42, 



pp. 46, 38, 40. 

 1909. Nephtheis thompsoni Sluiter, Siboga-'Exped., vol. 56b, p. 36. 

 1909. Nephtheis thompsoni Hartmeyer, Bronn's Tier-reich, vol. 3, suppl., 



p. 1440. 



Colony consisting of one or more heads each raised on a long 

 narrow pedicel and somewhat suggesting in its shape and appear- 

 ance an elongated pine cone. When composed of more than one head 

 the several pedicels may arise from a common basal mass of test, or 

 one or more smaller heads may be borne on branches arising at dif- 

 ferent points from the pedicel of the principal head. Zooids present 

 only in the heads, the largest and most mature being in the upper 

 part of the colony. The thorax of each well-developed zooid pro- 

 jects somewhat above the general surface of the common test even in 

 the contracted preserved specimens, and doubtless does so much more 

 in the living state, especially when the zooids are expanded. The 

 pedicels are not of uniform diameter throughout their length. In 

 general they become larger toward the lower end, expanding some- 

 what abruptly into a basal mass of test, by which the colony is 

 attached. Surface of the pedicel fairly smooth or slightly wrinkled, 

 free from incrusting material. 



Dimensions of three large colonies (each consisting of only a single 

 head with pedicel) : 



Locality. 



Total height of colony 



Height of head 



Length of pedicel 



Transverse diameter of head 



Average diameter of pedicel, about 



Station 

 D5145. 



97 



40 

 57 

 20 



7 



