1917] Eifter-Forsijth : Asridians of iSoutlicrn California 457 



nor the examinations made later by several observers have siieceeded 

 in finding any constant structural characteristics on which to base 

 such a group ; and as both size and height are subject to mucli varia- 

 tion it appears best, on the whole, not to give our forms a separate 

 name. Specimens are not infreqviently taken in the littoral zone, but 

 are more common in depths of a few fatlioms. 



Ciona intestinalis (L.) 



AurirVn intrstiiiiil,s. Liun., 17B7, p. 10S7, no. 3. 



riiiilhisni ii,t,.,h,uil,s. Sav., ]S16, p. 169. 



Ciiiiiii iiihsliinilis, Flemming, 1828, p. 468. 



Ciona intestinalis, Roule, 1884, p. 13. 



Ciona intestinalis, Hartmeyer, 1903, p. 297. 



(For an exhaustive bibliography, see Hartmeyer, 1903.) 



We have subjected specimens from San Diego Bay to a thorough- 

 going comparison with the descriptions and figures of ilediterranean 

 specimens given by ]M. Roule in his well-known monograph of 1884, 

 and find nothing to suggest even a race distinction for the west 

 American animals. Indeed, the perfect identity and the fact that 

 the species appears to be distributionally restricted in this region 

 almost entirely to localities frequented by ships, leads one to wonder 

 if it is not an immigrant to these parts. This surmise is the more 

 warranted by the habits of the animal, it being especially given to 

 clinging to the under sides of floats, buoys, and the like. In these 

 situations it flourishes most luxuriantly and occurs in enormous num- 

 bers. We would not however, make too much of this suggestion as to 

 distribution, since the species has been reported (Huntsman, 1911, and 

 Ritter, 1913) from a rather wider range in Pacific waters than is 

 altogether consistent with this theory. Ciona is sexually ripe in San 

 Diego Bay through the later summer, the entire autumn, and to mid- 

 winter at least; probably ripe animals may be found throughout the 

 year. 



Metandrocarpa dura (Ritter) 



Goodsiria dura, Ritter, 1S96, p. 150. 

 Metandrocarpa dura, Miehaelson, 1904, p. 70. 



Although this species is not very often taken in its original habitat, 

 it is still one of the mo.st conspicuous of our ascidians — this from its 

 favorite habit of forming incrusting masses on various of the larger 

 seaweeds, which, though usually growing below tide, are often washed 

 up decorated with the bright red colonies. 



