364 W. G. Van Name — Bermuda Ascidians. 



Var. bermudense, no v. 



Plate LTI. Figures 39, 43 and 50. Plate LXII. Figures 130c, 

 132 and 134. 



Colony usually between 2 and 3™"" thick (when incrusting irregu- 

 lar objects often ver^'^ much thicker) and reaching 60 or ^O""™ in 

 Avidth in some cases. Spicules more abundant in the iipper layers 

 of the colony, though generally the extreme upper stratum is free 

 from them, so that the surface is smooth to the touch. The spicules 

 (figs. 39 and 42) are usually rather small (less than 0.025™™ in 

 diameter) with a variable but generally very large number of 

 points or rays. Occasional very large spicules occur among the 

 small ones, but this is not peculiar to this variety. In some colonies 

 most of the spicules have their j^oints blunt and broken, in other 

 colonies most of the points are perfect, but generally slightly 

 rounded. As a rule the spicules are not so abundant as to render 

 the test very stiff or bi-ittle. The color is usually pure white, but 

 it often becomes yellowish in preserved specimens. The apertures 

 are generally not prominent. 



The zooids are large (up to 1.5™™ long, or more). Their tissues 

 are yellow, the stomach and intestine being orange. They have 12 

 or more stigmata in a row on each side and 16 tentacles of two sizes. 

 "When the zooids are very large, there are often additional, still 

 smaller tentacles between the larger ones. The testis is generally 

 single, but sometimes it is divided into two. The vas deferens 

 makes about a dozen spiral turns. 



This is the commonest form at Bermuda. 



Var. pageti, nov. 



Plate LII. Figure 45. 



A dwarf variety of the last. The colonies are small (under 20™™ 

 wide) and usually considerably under 2™™ thick. They have 

 generally a distinct yellow tint, and the tissues of the zooids are 

 more strongly orange-tinted than in the last form, sometimes almost 

 red, in which case the whole colony may have a salmon shade. 



The zooids are smaller and proportionately shorter than in var. 

 bermudense. The spicules (fig. 45) are, however, similar. They 

 have so many rays that unless highly magnified they appear almost 

 spherical. Surface of colony rather smooth, apertures not conspicu- 

 ous. 



Often found associated with the last described form. 



