240 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



chance. If the inclusion of sand grains is regarded as a regular habit of this species, 

 a rocky substratum would be unfavourable for growth and it is possible that the first 

 zooids of the colony always selected a loose sandy bottom. An examination of the 

 coenoecium supports this opinion, but it cannot be definitely established until the habits 

 of the species are known. 



The tubes are uniformly distributed 5 to 7 mm. apart. They are thin- walled and 

 vertical. The entire length of the tube lies within the mass of the colony, so that the 

 ostium opens on the surface. On one side the margin of the ostium is prolonged into 

 a vertical triangular lip covered with an outer layer of sand grains. It is capable of 

 folding over the ostium, so that when the lip is closed the ostium cannot be distinguished 

 from the rest of the surface. At the ostium, the tube is 1-4 mm. across, but it becomes 

 slightly narrower at the blind end. The longest tubes in the central region are 14 mm. 

 long. Towards the edge they become shorter and the shortest ones, close to the margin, 

 are inclined outwards. 



Each tube is occupied by one zooid and its buds. In the preserved condition the 

 upper tip of the zooid is situated nearly 4 mm. below the ostium. The dorsal part of 

 the body is dark brown, the ventral part and the sides are brownish white. The dark 

 brown colour extends along the entire length of the dorsal part of the stolon as a brown 

 band from the base of the arms to the tip of the stolon. 



In the females the ovaries are seen on either side of the pharynx as two conspicuous 

 white masses, which are directed obliquely ventrally. Hermaphrodite zooids could also 

 be distinguished, for the white mass is only on one side; the other side being occupied 

 by the testis, which is not a conspicuous structure. This difference between female 

 zooids and hermaphrodites can be observed only when the gonads are well developed. 

 The ovary is an elliptical organ with seven or eight heavily yolked ova. The short 

 oviduct opens at the base of the collar region between the pharynx and the rectum, just 

 below the lower end of the main nerve mass. 



Between the gonads and the rectum there is a small invagination of the ectoderm 

 which dilates into a flask-shaped cavity. This is lined with ectodermal cells and opens 

 through the narrow neck. It is difficult to account for the function of this cavity since 

 it is found to be almost empty. Its position near the ovary and the proximity of its 

 opening to the oviduct suggests that it is a kind of brood-pouch in which the developing 

 ova are received. But since no such structure is found in any other species, this view 

 must be accepted with caution. 



The body is slightly curved like that of C. hodgsoni. The pharynx runs slantwise, 

 and near the middle of the body opens into the stomach. The ventral wall of the 

 stomach is very much thicker than the dorsal and contains numerous closely set 

 transverse folds. The intestine is a long narrow tract which dilates into a spacious 

 rectum. The epithelial lining of the rectum is also thrown into long narrow folds 

 (PI. XXXVI, fig. i). 



The stolon originates from the region where the pharynx opens into the stomach. It 

 is directed downwards following the curve of the body. A thin connection keeps the 



