392 



TORREY 



For these reasons I have united Leiotealia with Epiactis^ the latter 

 name having priority. 



EPIACTIS PROLIFERA Verrill. 



(PI. XXV, figs. 4, 5 ; text fig. 20.) 



Localities. — Puget Sound ; Tomales Bay ; San Francisco ; Pacific 

 Grove; San Pedro, Cal. Not uncommon. 



In his recent diagnosis of this species Verrill describes the sphincter 

 as " large, clearly circumscribed, ovate in section, essentially endoder- 

 mal, but not so much detached from the wall as usual in Bunodactidae." 



Fig. 20. Epiactisprolifera. Cross section of sphincter muscle. Mesoglcea black. 



To remove all doubt as to its endodermal nature, I have reproduced 

 the sphincter of a specimen from Pacific Grove, Cal., in the accompany- 

 ing figure (fig. 20) which Professor Verrill writes me agrees perfectly 

 with his observations. 



Epiactis prolifera is much smaller than E. ritteri. It exhibits, 

 though to a less degree, the wrinkling of the column near the foot so 

 characteristic of that species.^ There may be but one siplionoglyph, 

 though two is probably the typical number. Six pairs of mesenteries, 

 including the directives are perfect throughout the length of the 

 oesophagus. Six others belonging to the second cycle, may reach the 

 oesophagus near the mouth only. All are arranged with marked 

 symmetry about the major mouth axis. 



'Individuals taken recently in San Pedro (Juh', 1902) were almost twice the 

 diameter of specimens figured on Plate xxiv. No wrinkles^were observed on live 

 animals, and are probably due to contractions produced by the killing process. 



