WEST COAST HYDEOIDS 57 



thecal, viz. on the stolon. In some cases he finds branches spring- 

 ing from the hj^drotheca?, which would qualify the species for 

 the genus Thecocladium. Hartlaub^^ in referring to this dis- 

 cussion, cites an interesting laboratory experiment, where, in a 

 colony of Ohclia, the hydranths disappeared from the calyces, 

 and gonophores later appeared to take their place, though they 

 were attenuated, and otherwise differed from the type. He con- 

 cludes that the entire nourishment is used in this case to produce 

 the gonosome, that the species may be perpetuated. In his dis- 

 cussion, however, he offers no opinion on the merits of the two 

 sides of the question, but in the same paper, he later uses the 

 genus Synthecium, showing that he is not satisfied that the genus 

 should be eliminated. 



It does not follow that because Torrey has found these varia- 

 tions in this species, that on this alone the genus Synthecium 

 should be discarded. As I have already stated, there are and 

 must be intergradations between any two allied genera, as well 

 as between two nearly allied species, and evidently this is a good 

 ease in point, but that does not signify that the genus must on 

 that account be left out. This is evidently the stand that most 

 authors, who have met with species of this genus since Allman 

 instituted it, have taken, as it has been used by them without 

 hesitation. "With regard to this particular species, there must 

 remain some doubt as to where to place it, until a large amount 

 of material has been examined, so that the typical form may be 

 decided upon. As the only specimens I have seen are Prof. 

 Nutting's type specimens, and as I have followed his classifica- 

 tion throughout in this group, I shall continue to do so in this 

 case, though I am perfectly free to admit that my opinion might 

 be changed if I had the opportunity to examine a large amount 

 of material. 



Genus ABIETINARIA 



ABIETIXAEIA ABIETINA (Linnaeus) 



Sertidaria abietina Linn^us, Systema Naturte. 1758, p. 808. 

 Sertularia anguina var. robusta Clark, Hydroids of Pacific Coast, 1876, 

 p. 255. 



Abietinaria ahietina Nutting, American Hydroids, Part TI, 1904, p. 114. 

 AbieUnaria anguina Nutting, American Hydroids, Part II, 1904, p. 119. 



Distribution. — Alaska, Bering Sea, Albatross collections off 



41 Die -Hydroiden der Magalhaenischen Region, 1905, pp. 615-627. 



