506 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUr^I VOL.84 



of total diameter of system; ridges between dactylotomes dcciirrent 

 on sides of gastropore. Dactylostyle very small and as a rule not 

 extending above the mouth of the slit as seen on side of gastropore. 

 Gastropore deep and characteristically slightly curved, so that the 

 slender style at the bottom is generally completely hidden when the 

 cyclosystem is \dewed directly from above (pi. 34, figs. 1, 16). Diam- 

 eter of a cyclosystem 1 to 1.3 mm; depth 2 to 2.5 mm. Gastrostyle 

 0.5 to 0.6 mm long. In male colonies the gastrostyle is likely to be 

 much slenderer (pi. 34, fig. le) than in female colonies (pi. 34, figs. 



1/, W- 



On the periphery of larger colonies, branchlets may become flat- 

 tened and cyclosystems distorted. Dactylotomes are commonly longer 

 on the distal side of such cyclosystems. 



Male ampullae are ordinarily about the diameter of a gastropore; 

 low hemispherical to low subconical, the latter when crowded. They 

 occur on all sides of the branchlets althougli more numerously on 

 front and back; but the}' are very scarce on the back of the main 

 stems. Female ampullae are nearly or quite as broad as the cyclo- 

 systems and hemispherical in form. The dome-shaped roof is thin, 

 typically quite smooth. The subsphcrical interior presents a fenes- 

 trated surface. The smaller branches of female colonies, with their 

 cyclosystems protruding from among the blisterlike ampullae, suggest 

 Stenohelia (pi. 34, fig. Id). 



The coenosteum is hard, but the surface is microscopically uneven 

 and porous, the pores being in the bottom of sinuous anastomosing 

 microscopic depressions and are best seen on the younger parts of 

 colony. On some of the peripheral parts of the colony, especially 

 the back and sides of branches, but without any uniformity of occur- 

 rence, there are scattered tiny papilliform protuberances. Certain 

 others, similar in size, have a definite central pore, representing per- 

 hiips secondary dactylopores. The paucity of their numbers suggests 

 their unimi^ortance to the colony. 



Color of dried colony, light buff to ochraceous-buff (Ridgway's no- 

 menclature); when cleaned with sodium hypochlorite the coenosteum 

 becomes dull white, sometimes with a suggestion of very pale pink. 



Type. — U.S.N.M. no. 42870 (fragment of male colony). 



Type locality. — Albatross station 3480, Amukta Pass, Aleutian 

 Islands, hit. 52° 06' N., long. 171° 45' W., 283 fathoms, black sand, 

 rocky. 



Specimens examined. — Numerous fragments (male and female) from 

 the type locaHty. Also from station 2852, 2 small specimens; station 

 2858, 3 small specimens, not typical; station 3599, 5 small fragments; 

 station 4230, small fragment; station 4302, small fragment. 



