l^'07] Bitter. — California Coast Ascidians. 39 



In view of the fact tliat generally the viscera in Ciona extends 

 unequivocally behind the branchial sac, it is important to deter- 

 mine precisely the relation of these parts in the present species, 

 where apparently the viscera are alongside the sac. So far as 

 concei'ns the specimen represented in fig. -35, it would appear 

 that it actually falls short somewhat of reaching back to the 

 posterior limit of the body. In a majority of the specimens of 

 the collection the digestive tract was in quite a different relation 

 to the sac from that here shown. It was thrust out dorsally and 

 somewhat posteriorly as compared with its position in the speci- 

 men figured. This condition I have suf^posed to be unnatural, 

 probably due to pressure of some sort. As a consequence the 

 specimen figured was selected because it was believed to be more 

 nearly normal as regards artificial distortion than any of the 

 others. I am inclined to believe that some of these others, could 

 they have been examined before contraction and distortion, would 

 have been found to conform somewhat more closely to the usual 

 Ciona type of viscera than did the one figured. 



Although the present species is very distinct from any Ciona 

 hitherto described, there can hardly be a question as to its generic 

 affinities. It is true that the viscera extend but slightly if at all 

 behind the branchial sac and that this character has usually been 

 regarded as a rather important one for the genus. In view, how- 

 ever, of the fact that in all other respects, unless possibly in the 

 number and structure of the branchial tentacles, its Ciona traits 

 are so positive; and in view of the further fact that probably in 

 life the viscera do here extend somewhat behind the sac, and that 

 in at least one other species of the genus, viz., C. savigniji Hei'd- 

 num, the backward extension of the viscera is not great, I have 

 felt no hesitation in assigning moll's to this genus. 



About a dozen specimens were taken all at one haul at Station 

 4425, 21.8 miles S. 7°E. of the east point of San Nicolas Island, 

 1100 fathoms, on l)ottom of green nnid. sand and globigerina. 



Cystodites cretaceous? v. Dr. 



A large quantity of a fine representative of this genus, closely 

 related to C. cretaceous v. Dr., comes from the vicinity of ]\Ion- 

 terey Bay. Although there are a dozen colonies, or perhaps pieces 



