276 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. los 



Family Smittinidae 



Smittiidae Levinsen, 1902, p. 26. 



Smittinidae Levinsen, 1909, pp. 335-336. — Canu and Bassler, 1920, pp. 453-455.— 

 Vigneaux, 1949, pp. 91-92.— Brown, 1952, p. 311.— Osburn, 1952, p. 390. 



The above synonymy refers to significant references only. 



Remarks: Some of the species of this family have at one time or 

 another occupied positions in various families including the Escharidae, 

 Escharellidae, Exochellidae, Mucronellidae, etc. However, all the 

 Antarctic species discussed below can be comfortably contained in the 

 family Smittinidae. 



Levinsen, in 1902, defined Smittiidae as possessing "Hyperstomial 

 ooecia, generally with pores; both the distal wall and the lateral walls 

 with a number (ca. 4-8) of single pored rosette plates." Later, in 

 1909, he extended the definition "The zooecia are seldom provided 

 with 1-8 spines, A vestibular arch is wanting or weakly developed. 

 The avicularia are rarely lateral and a median symmetrically or 

 asymmetrically placed avicularium appears most frequently. The 

 ooecia have as a rule a calcified, very rarely membranous ectooecium, 

 which is usually provided with pores. Rosette plates with one or 

 several pores, more lately pore chambers." 



Canu and Bassler (1920, p. 453) add these features to the family 

 diagnosis: "... ovicell . . . hyperstomial . . . opens into the 

 peristomie. The peristome is produced and channeled in front. The 

 operculum , . . lower edge is straight or slightly curved inward and 

 hardly separated from the ectocyst." The frontal wall layers, par- 

 ticularly the pleurocyst, are mentioned by Canu, Bassler, Osburn, 

 and others. 



Brown (1952, p. 311) gives the most concise statement of family 

 characteristics: "Ascophora possessing a median lyi'ula and lateral 

 condyles in the primary orifice. Peristome often raised and channelled 

 proximally to accommodate an oral avicularium which may, however, 

 be frontal. Oral spines usually present. Ovicell with or without a 

 porous ectooecium. Frontal wall evenly perforate or with marginal 

 areolae." 



Bassler (1953, p. G207) recently made a very important move to 

 replace the family Smittinidae by family Mucronellidae Levinsen 1902 

 (p. 26), listing 23 genera (pp. G207-210) under it. Most of these 

 genera can be conveniently divided into three major groups on the 

 basis of their frontal wall: olocyst, pleurocyst or tremocyst. Those 

 with an olocyst are listed as Cysticella, Hemicyclopora, and Jaculina, 

 while those with a pleurocyst are Mucronella, Palmicellaria, Para- 

 smittina, Porella, Rhamphostomella, Rimulostoma, Smittoidea, Bryo- 

 cryptella, and Marguetta. Some Rhamphostomella are also listed by 



