﻿DESCRIPTION 
  OF 
  A 
  NEW 
  SPECIES 
  OF 
  ACTINIAN 
  OF 
  THE 
  

   GENUS 
  EDWARDSIELLA 
  FROM 
  SOUTHERN 
  CALIFORNIA. 
  

  

  By 
  J. 
  Playfair 
  McMurrich, 
  

  

  0/ 
  the 
  University 
  of 
  Toronto, 
  Canada. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  species 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  family 
  Edwardsiidae 
  hitherto 
  

   described 
  from 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  is 
  that 
  from 
  Unalaska 
  which 
  Torrey 
  ^ 
  

   has 
  identified 
  with 
  the 
  Edwardsia 
  sipunculoides 
  of 
  Stimpson. 
  

  

  The 
  present 
  form 
  differs 
  markedly 
  from 
  this 
  and 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  

   different 
  from 
  other 
  known 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  to 
  warrant 
  its 
  

   recognition 
  as 
  a 
  distinct 
  species, 
  for 
  which 
  I 
  propose 
  the 
  name 
  

   EdwardsieUa 
  calif 
  ornica. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  identical 
  with 
  a 
  form 
  from 
  San 
  

   Pedro 
  mentioned, 
  but 
  not 
  described 
  nor 
  named, 
  by 
  Torrey 
  in 
  the 
  

   paper 
  just 
  referred 
  to. 
  

  

  EDWARDSIELLA 
  CALIFORNICA, 
  new 
  species. 
  

  

  Anaheim 
  Bay 
  (Creek), 
  Cahfornia: 
  Muddy 
  shore, 
  about 
  one 
  mile 
  

   inland, 
  at 
  or 
  below 
  low 
  water, 
  one 
  example; 
  mud 
  flats 
  and 
  shore 
  

   at, 
  or 
  below, 
  low 
  tide, 
  "Stingaree 
  Hole," 
  six 
  examples. 
  

  

  Type.—Csit. 
  No. 
  30716, 
  U.S.N.M. 
  

  

  AH 
  the 
  examples 
  were 
  completely 
  contracted 
  so 
  that 
  both 
  the 
  

   capitulum 
  and 
  tentacles 
  were 
  concealed. 
  The 
  scapus 
  was 
  covered 
  

   by 
  the 
  brown 
  furfuraceous 
  epidermis, 
  characteristic 
  of 
  Edwardsians, 
  

   and 
  was 
  grooved 
  longitudinally 
  by 
  eight 
  rather 
  deep 
  invections, 
  

   marking 
  off 
  a 
  similar 
  number 
  of 
  broad 
  longitudinal 
  ridges. 
  These 
  

   latter 
  bore 
  large 
  and 
  usually 
  prominent 
  nematocyst 
  capsules, 
  which 
  

   were 
  arranged 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  row 
  on 
  the 
  distal 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  scapus, 
  but 
  

   more 
  proximaUy 
  were 
  in 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  closely 
  adjacent 
  rows, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  

   seems 
  proper 
  to 
  refer 
  the 
  species 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  EdwardsieUa. 
  The 
  

   physa 
  was 
  large 
  and 
  smooth; 
  it 
  lacked 
  the 
  epidermis 
  present 
  on 
  the 
  

   scapus, 
  but 
  had 
  numerous 
  minute 
  particles 
  of 
  sand 
  adhering 
  to 
  it. 
  

  

  Color. 
  — 
  In 
  examples 
  preserved 
  in 
  formaUn 
  the 
  scapus 
  was 
  of 
  a 
  

   dark 
  chestnut-brown 
  color, 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  epidermis, 
  and 
  the 
  physa 
  was 
  

   clear 
  and 
  transparent. 
  

  

  Size. 
  — 
  Height 
  of 
  column 
  in 
  contracted 
  examples 
  2.8 
  cm.; 
  diameter 
  

   of 
  column 
  0.4 
  cm. 
  ; 
  length 
  of 
  physa 
  about 
  0.3 
  cm. 
  

  

  • 
  H. 
  B. 
  Torrey. 
  Anemones 
  (of 
  the 
  Harriman 
  Expedition) 
  with 
  discussion 
  of 
  variation 
  in 
  Metridiiun. 
  

   Proc. 
  Washington 
  Acad. 
  Sci., 
  vol. 
  4, 
  1902, 
  p. 
  378. 
  

  

  Proceedings 
  U. 
  S. 
  National 
  Museum, 
  Vol. 
  44-No. 
  1967 
  

  

  551 
  

  

  