l-'O"] Bitter. — California Coast Ascidians. 37 



axis directed transversely to the antero-posterior axis of the 

 animal. Intestine quite as long as the animal and of nearly uni- 

 form diameter thronohout its lenglh ; anal opening near the atrial 

 siphon, surrounded by about eight rounded lobes (pi. 3, fig. 35). 

 No "liver" present. 



Reproductive Organs. — Ovary a compact mass situated in the 

 posterior loop of the intestinal S, near the stomach. Testis not 

 seen. Genital duct (oviduct?) running parallel with the intes- 

 tine to open near the anus. 



The muscle bands of the mantle are of an unusual and strikina: 

 character in this species. Their course and arrangement are 

 indicated in the diagnosis and in pi. 3, fig. 35. The figure would 

 give the impression that they are confined to the right side of the 

 body, as they are, practically, in many of the Ascidiidae. This 

 is not the case. They are as strongly developed on one side as 

 on the other, and the number is in general the same on the two 

 sides. Although they converge toward the posterior end of the 

 animal in so pronounced a way, they do not fuse together at the 

 point of continence, a small area being left there about which the 

 bands terminate abruptly. A feature about the bands not well 

 brought out by the figure is the fact that the constituent fibers 

 are disposed chiefly in two bundles or columns, so that each 

 muscle has the appearance of being double. The breaking up of 

 each nniscle into several branches as it enters the siphon may be 

 noted, but this is not unusual. 



The branchial tentacles (pi. 3, fig. 37) contain within the 

 lumen a series of narrowly pyramidal structures the bases of 

 which are directed toward the thickened, grooved, narrower side 

 of the triangular tentacle. These appear to be of a connective 

 tissue, or secretive nature, but what their office may be it is diffi- 

 cult to understand. I do not know definitely of anything quite 

 like these bodies in any other ascidian. Herdman '99 has shown 

 (pi. Cyn. XV, fig. 5) a condition of the tentacles of Styela 

 persona that may be similar, but in the absence of a statement in 

 his text relative to the point, it is not possible to know how close 

 the similarity is. It will be seen from fig. 36 that the tentacles 

 are situated on a slight ridge. So far as I am able to determine 

 there are from 225 to 250 of these tentacles. 



