206 SMITHSONIAN MISCE;LIvANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. $2 



with a strong tendency toward the former condition ; three of his 

 specimens had five of each type, two six of 2, and the remainder 

 (not more than four) 4 (3 + 4) one eight of 2, and two all of 2. 

 Carpenter in his description of rotalaria says "two distichals, the 

 second axillary without a syzygy;" later he says "tridistichate series 

 occur abnormally in both examples [he had only two] ;" his figure 

 shows nine distichal series, three of 4 (3 + 4)» ^^^ six of 2. Over- 

 looking the difference in the number of the distichals. Carpenter's 

 description of rotalaria is included in every character in his more 

 exhaustive one of parvicirra; since Hartlaub has shown the number 

 of distichals to be valueless, we are forced to the conclusion that 

 rotalaria and parvicirra are identical. 



Carpenter records from the same station in the Philippines (Sam- 

 boangan, 10 fathoms) seven specimens of parvicirra^ and two of 

 rotalaria, the latter, however, both with one or more distichal series 

 of 4 (3 -[- 4)- The present Philippine collection may safely be con- 

 sidered to include specimens identical with Carpenter's Philippine 

 examples. I find in it all variations ; the majority of the specimens 

 have the distichals mainly 4 (3 -f- 4) ; many have them all 

 4 (3 + 4) ; but one (Tataan) has them all 2, thus being even more 

 typical than Carpenter's specimens, which he refers without ques-- 

 tion to rotalaria. But there is not the slightest doubt that all the 

 specimens before me are specifically identical ; and therefore, assum- 

 ing my "tridistichate" specimens to be comparable to Carpenter's 

 Philippine parvicirra (they are certainly identical with the two 

 Challenger specimens in the National Museum), and my "bidis- 

 tichate" specimens to be the same as his rotalaria, from the unques- 

 tionable specific identity of mine I am led to infer the specific identity 

 of his. 



Some question might, of course, arise in regard to the correctness 

 of Carpenter's conception of rotalaria; but he personally examined 

 minutely the collection at Paris, and so careful was he in regard to 

 specific discrimination that I believe we are safe in assuming the 

 identity of the Paris specimens and those dredged by the Challenger 

 at Zamboanga. 



COMANTHUS ALTERNANS (P. H. Carpenter) 

 Station No. 5142; north of Jolo town; 21 fathoms. 



' I have at hand two of these. 



