254 



RITTER 



AMAROUCIUM CALIFORNICUM (?) Ritter. 



Amarouciiim califor7iicum Ritter, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., Vol. xii, No. 14, 

 p. 608, 1900. 



A few small colonies of an Amaroucium found at Popof Island are 

 doubtfully identified with this species. The chief difficulty in the way 

 of identification is in the small size of the zooids and the fungiform 

 shape of the colonies in the specimens at hand. It is highly probable, 

 however, that none of the colonies are really typical. None of the 

 zooids are sexually mature, and in one colony, the lai-gest, most of 

 them are in a broken-up, degenerate condition, indicating that the gen- 

 eral form is flat and expanded, and that the fungiform pieces are in 

 reality only incidental. Such knobs are very common in A. call- 

 fornicum. 



The zooids are all so contracted that it is impossible to make out 

 much about their internal structure, but so far as one can see there is 

 nothing here in the way of the identification. 



Taken on shore rocks at low tide, Popof Island, Shumagin Islands, 

 July 8, 1899. 



PSA]MMAPLIDIUM PEDUNCULATUM ( .?) Herdman. 



Psammaplidium pedimciilaium Herdmax, Linn. Soc. Journal, Zool., Vol. 

 XXIII, p. 620, 1891 ; and Catalogue of Tunicata in Australian Museum, 

 No. XVII, p. 88, and Pi, vi, figs. 7-9, 1899. 



The identification of the specimens with this species is very doubt- 

 ful. This assignment is provisional only, pending an opportunity to 

 examine more material. 



Meantime the following points may be noted, mostly supplementary 

 to Herdman's description, but to some extent obviously at variance 

 with it : 



Form of the club-shaped masses constituting the colonies essentially 

 the same as in the Australian specimens, though probably the size is 

 slightly larger in the Alaskan species. 



Color. — Cherry red in life, this, however, disappearing in pre- 

 served condition except a slight tinge particularly noticeable around 

 the siphons. 



Zooids. — Arranged in very distinct systems of about a dozen each ; 

 one or two systems only to each lobe. Common cloacal opening large 

 and distinct. Zooids much contracted and very opaque. A distinct, 

 though not long, single pointed atrial languet. About twelve series of 

 branchial stigmata. Stomach rather large, though not clearly set off 

 from the intestine, which is also large. A single narrow longitudinal 



