The Bryozoa of the Tortugas Islands, Florida. 211 



Lepralia cucullata Busk. 



Busk, 1854, P- 81. — Waters, 1909, p. 150, synonymy and references. — Jullien et 

 Calvet, 1903, p. 141 {Schizoporella cucullata). 



Common in shallow water at the Tortugas. In life the color of the 

 colony is dark brownish-purple, sometimes almost black, and the polypides 

 in the young zooecia at the edge of the colony have a fine carmine color. 

 A number of colonies more than an inch in diameter were found on the 

 bottom of a skifT that had been in the water only from May i to June 23. 



The generic position of this well-known species is very unsettled. A 

 majority of authors have agreed in placing it in Lepralia, others in Smittia, 

 and still others in Schizoporella. The reason for this difference of opinion 

 lies in the general simplicity of the zooecia, which lack characters usually 

 considered as diagnostic. The form of the orifice is somewhat intermediate 

 between that of Lepralia and Schizoporella. There is a very shallow curve 

 on the posterior border, which may be interpreted as a sinus, as Calvet has 

 done (1. c), or as merely the space between the hinge denticles. In the 

 absence of any means of settling the controversy, I place the species tenta- 

 tively in Lepralia, in which genus it was described by Busk. 



Distribution: Mediterranean, Red, and Arabian Seas; Azores Islands; 

 Cape Verde Islands; South Africa, and Cape St. Lucas, Lower California. 

 Not before noted on the Atlantic side of America. 

 Lepralia rostrigera (Smitt). 



Smitt, 1873, p. 57 (Escharella rostrigera). — Waters, 1885, p. 298; 1887, p. 61. — Jelly, 

 1889, p. 126 (under L. depressa). 



The Escharella rostrigera of Smitt has been made a synonym of L. 

 depressa Busk by Miss Jelly (1. c), but in the opinion of the writer it repre- 

 sents a distinct species. Smitt recognized a relationship between the 

 species, but indicated that the differences are constant. The study of 

 material taken by me at the Tortugas confirms this view. The form of the 

 zooecial aperture is quite different, being well rounded at the posterior mar- 

 gin, as figured by Smitt, and there is never more than a faint indication 

 of a constriction of the sides. The avicularia are characteristically placed 

 far forw-ard, alongside of the anterior part of the orifice, or frequently 

 entirely in front of it. Busk's figure of L. depressa (1854, pi. 91 , figs. 3 and 4) 

 shows no indication of pores. In rostrigera there are numerous small pores 

 in the frontal wall in younger stages, and large, marginal pores are present 

 in all stages. The larger zooecia with the broad aperture described and 

 figured by Smitt (pi. X, fig. 205) are occasionally present in my specimens. 

 Smitt 's specimens were taken by Pourtales in 35 and 43 fathoms. Mine 

 were taken at 10 and 15 fathoms on coral and shells. A fine colony at 10 

 fathoms incrusted the base of a living Cladocora arbuscula. 

 Lepralia contracta Waters var. serrata Osburn. 



Waters, 1899, p. n.— Noral4.n, 1909, p. 306.— Osburn, 1912, p. 242 (Lepralia 

 serrata). 



Several colonies incrusting shells at 5 to 18 fathoms. This variety was 



