30 Natural History Bulletin. ^ 



Among the worms found on the sea weed, the most abund- 

 ant was a Spirorbis. which thickly dotted the olive surface 

 with its minute spiral shells. 



But the hydroids furnished the most interesting, or at least 

 most beautiful, animal forms found inhabiting the gulf weed. 

 Campanularians predominated, four verv distinct species being 

 found, several of which seemed to be new. Fortunately the 

 reproductive buds, or gonophores, were present in each case. 

 Perhaps the most interesting campanularian was one character- 

 ized by its green color. This was the tirst green hydroid 

 which had been seen by an\' one on board; of course we except 

 the fresh water Hxdra viridii. A microscopic examination 

 showed that this color was apparenth- due to the presence of 

 chlorophyl. which seemed to be a part of the animal itself, as 

 in Hydra vin'dis. and not an alga which is parasitic, such as is 

 described by Cienkowsky, Hertwig, Brandt and Geddes.^ The 

 distribution of these chlorophyl bodies seemed to be uniform 

 throughout the bodies and tentacles of the hydranths, as well 

 as in the pedicels. Of course no physiological test was avail- 

 able to positively prove the nature of the green cells, but there 

 was no ocular difference discernible between them and true 

 chlorophyl bodies. The reproductive organs were enclosed 

 in flask-shaped gonangia, having a collar and lid. The 

 h^"dranth of this remarkable campanularian has a disk-shaped 

 proboscis borne on a short, rather slender pedicel, and sur- 

 rounded by twenty or more tentacles. 



Of the remaining species, two are apparently new Cani- 

 piDiidaria. One has a gonangium which is shaped like a 

 Chinese lantern and contains a single planoblast borne on a 

 blastostyle. and filling the entire gonangium. Ohclia hyalina 

 is another very beautiful hydroid found at this time attached 

 to the gulf weed, its graceful branching form and triangular 

 calicles making it particularly elegant in appearance. Two 

 species of plumularian Indroids were also found attached to 

 the sea weed, one being Aglaophoiia niiiiuta Fewkes, grow- 

 ing in the shape of delicate plumes, fairly covering the 



1 " Three Cruises of the Blake." page 214. 



