ZOOLOGY OF THE BERMUDAS. 109 



were as a rule tipped with crimson. In a separate bottle is a 

 single specimen evidently identical with the others, and accom- 

 panying it is a note stating that the column was red and the 

 tentacles brown. This specimen was found freely floating near 

 the surface, but had evidently become detached, as its base 

 shows that normally it is an attached form. 



The ectodern having been macerated away, the outer surface 

 of the mesogloea is exposed to view, and is seen to be divided 

 by fine longitudinal and transverse grooves into small quad- 

 rangular areas. These grooves are continued over the limbus 

 upon the surface of the base, the longitudinal grooves there 

 becoming radiating and the transverse ones concentric. 



The only character which is markedly different from what 

 occurs in the West Indian specimens of the species is presented 

 by the longitudinal muscles of the mesenteries. The middle 

 portion of a section through the muscle-band presents an 

 appearance quite similar to that seen in the West Indian 

 form, and the internal edge is also the same, the long meso- 

 gloeal processes terminating abruptly, and being followed by 

 smaller processes which extend to the commencement of the 

 reproductive region of the mesentery ; but toward the inser- 

 tion of the mesenteries into the column wall the arrangement 

 is slightly different (PI. 10, fig. 3). In the Bahama specimens 

 the mesogloea between the outer edge of the muscle-band and 

 the insertion of the mesentery into the column wall is thin, 

 and the muscle-band gradually thins out externally. In the 

 Bermuda forms, however, the longitudinal muscle begins ab- 

 ruptly, and the mesogloea external to it is thick, with short, 

 stout muscle processes; or, as in the directives, with the 

 muscle cells, instead of appearing to cover processes, present- 

 ing rather the appearance of here and there dipping down 

 slightly into the mesogloaa. 



It is not probable, however, that this slight difference is to 

 be regarded as specific, and since in other respects there is 

 almost exact correspondence, the Bermuda forms must be con- 

 sidered identical with those from the Bahamas. 



