370 BULLETIN 82, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



In his description Doctor Clark confused this species with Comanthus 

 tasmanke, and it is not quite clear whether the latter was also found breeding at 

 that time or not. 



COMISSIA LITTORALIS. 



Anchorage off the Kawio and Kamboling Islands, Karkarolong group : On 

 July 22-23, 1899, the Siboga dredged a specimen of this species in 23-31 meters 

 which had seven yoimg pentacrinoids attached to the cirri. 



COMACTINIA ilERimONALrS. 



Yucatan: On January 30, 1885, the Albatross dredged in 21 fathoms off 

 Yucatan numerous small specimens of this species which bore, attached to the 

 cirri, a very large number of pentacrinoids of all ages from the prebrachial 

 stage onward. 



COMANTHUS JAPONICA. 



Professor Ijima wrote, in a letter to Mr. Frank Springer, that this species 

 attains sexual maturity at about the same time as Tropiometra macrodiscus — 

 that is to say, in September. 



Since the summer of 1917 Mr. Furusawa has endeavored, under his direction, 

 to secure the larvae and pentacrinoids of this form, but so far without result, al- 

 though the gonads seemed to be ripe, or nearly so. 



Experiments in artificial fertilization with artificially liberated sexual products 

 all failed. 



A number of living individuals were kept in a pond and examined from time 

 to time. On October 1 there occurred a violent typhoon, and since that day not a 

 single individual with ripe sexual products has been found, either among those in 

 captivity or among tliose freshly taken from the sea. It is certain that the typhoon 

 caused the discharge of the sexual products. 



A year later, on February 25, 1919. Professor IjLma wrote to Mr. Springer 

 that scores of Comanthns japonien had been kept alive at the Misaki Marine Sta- 

 tion and continually watched to determine the spawning season, old individuals 

 being from time to time replaced by animals freshly caught. It was found that 

 they lived best in a boat-shaped live car containing seaweed and bamboo twigs for 

 the larvte to fix upon, moored in the open water in front of the laboratory. 



During August many females were found with their pinnules swollen and 

 containing nearly full-grown ova, but no ripe males were found. 



On October 14 Mr. K. Aoka, the collector at the station, discovered for the 

 first time some fully mature examples. Artificial fertilization was at once resorted 

 to. On October 15 Mr. Aoki reported finding larvee inclosed in the vitelline 

 membrane ; on the 16th they escaped from the membrane and began to swim about : 

 on the 17th they all attached themselves to the sides of the jars. On the 27th they 

 were dying off rapidly, although the water had been changed every day, and 

 apparently all development had ceased. A fresh supply of adult animals were 

 obtained, but these were found to be no longer ripe. 



