6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 9I 



about 60° with the branch ; they are all in the same plane. Each 

 hydrocladium arises from a prominent process of the branch and this 

 has a distinct prominence in its axil. In the proximal portion, the 

 nodes are commonly very faint, but they are quite distinct in the 

 distal portion ; the internodes are long, each with one hydrotheca near 

 its proximal end. The hydrothecae are long, about twice the width, 

 tubular, or with the sides slightly curved. Margin entire. Thtre are 

 numerous nematophores on the stem and the fascicled portion of the 

 branches ; on the simple portion of the branches, there is one on the 

 prominence on the hydrocladial process, another placed laterally and 

 one on the branch where the process joins it ; there are two nemato- 

 phores between two successive hydrocladial processes, in line with 

 these processes ; on each internode of the hydrocladium, there is a 

 median nematophore at the base of the hydrotheca, two supracalycine 

 nematophores, projecting well outward, and one median, some distance 

 above the margin of the hydrotheca. 



Gonosome. — The distal portion of some of the branches become 

 very much modified in connection with the development of the 

 gonangia. In place of the regular hydrocladia, whorls of six, slender, 

 tapering processes, without nodes, appear. These processes curve 

 outward and upward, so that the distal portion is parallel to the branch ; 

 there are several nematophores, up to 8, on the adcauline side of each 

 process. The gonangia, singly or in pairs, are placed in the axils of 

 the whorls; they are regularly elliptical, i.o mm long and 0.3 mm 

 in diameter, smooth, with little or no pedicel. 



Holoty pe.—lJ .S.N M. no. 43292. 



Distribution. — North of Puerto Rico, lat. i8°33'i5" N., long. 65° 

 56'45" W. ; 240 fathoms. Off west coast of Puerto Rico, lat. i8°24' 

 45" N., long. 67°i4'i5" W. ; 80-180 fathoms. North of Puerto Rico, 

 lat. i8°3i'3o" N., long. 66°i8'2o" W.; depth not recorded. 



STREPTOCAULUS GRACILIS, n. sp. 



Plate 2, fig. 10 



Trophosome. — Colony 8 cm in height ; stem fascicled throughout 

 much of its length, unbranched ; the proximal half or more without 

 hydrocladia ; hydrocladia arranged to form a continuous spiral around 

 the distal portion of the stem. The hydrocladia are divided into long, 

 slender internodes, with the hydrothecae near the proximal end of 

 the internodes ; there is a double annulation at the node, which is 

 somewhat oblique. The hydrotheca occupies about two-thirds of the 

 length of the internode, the face of it with an urceolate curve ; the 



