246 RITTER 



DISTAPLIA CONFUSA sp. nov. 

 (PI. XXIX, figs. 26'and 27.) 



General characters of the colo?ty. — Thin and encrusting, about 

 3 or 4 mm. tliick, and quite uniform ; largest piece at hand 40 

 mm. in length by about the same width. Irregular in outline, very 

 soft. Of a dark, purplish ashen color, due to pigment in the test. 

 Test in large quantity as compared with the number of zooids. A 

 few branched vessels, some bearing ampullae \vithin the test. 



Zooids. — Few in number, scattered in the most irregular way, and 

 occupying the most varied positions as regards direction of axes rela- 

 tive to surface of colony. Apparently no systems present. Of a 

 nearly uniform sooty color, but little darker, however, than the test, 

 and, therefore, showing indistinctly through it. 



Many abdomens without thoraces present ; of the characteristic dis- 

 tomid dumbbell shape, the handle long, straight and slender, the out- 

 line of the ends irregular, owing to prominent interruptions caused 

 by the few voluminous ova projecting from the posterior end of the 

 abdonien. 



Length about 7 mm. (greater than thickness of the colony, this be- 

 ing possible from the extremely oblique position of the zooids). 

 Thickness of thorax about 1.5 mm., abdomen about the same. 



Mantle. — Extremely delicate ; circular muscle fibers apparently 

 wholly absent ; longitudinal few, very fine, and but imperfectly 

 grouped in bundles. 



Branchial apparatus. — No visible orifices on the surface of the 

 colony ; branchial siphon very broad and short, wide open in correla- 

 tion with the absence of sphincter muscle fibers ; lobes wide, low, and 

 irregular. Atrial orifice large, no siphon, but a wide and, in some 

 zooids, rather long languet. 



Four series of long, narrow stigmata with about sixteen stigmata in 

 each half-series. Tentacles and dorsal languets not seen owing to the 

 contracted state of the sac. 



Posterior ventral corner of sac not extended back behind esophagal 

 opening, but esophagus issuing from middle of posterior end of sac 

 (p1. XXIX, fig. 26). 



Digestive tract. — Nearly straight, loop narrow, post-gastric intestine 

 returning abruptly back upon the esophagus and meeting it at the en- 

 trance of the latter into the stomach ; from here the straight rectal por- 

 tion closely applied to the esophagus, and accompanying it forward to 

 the thorax. The general form of the tract thus made to resemble closely 



