40 University of California Publications in Zoology. [Vol. 4 



of the same colony, the largest of which is not less than 15 cm. 

 across, I am still unable to decide positively what to do with the 

 species systematically. From what evidence I can get I can not 

 differentiate it from Drasche's Mediterranean species. In color, 

 size and general chai^acters of the colony it appears to agree al- 

 most perfectly with that species. I think, too, the spicules are 

 practically alike in the two. However, there is some doubt on this 

 point, since very few of what I suppose to be the natural spicules 

 are present in the specimens. The cellular portions of the spicule 

 cases, and also calcareous matter, are abundant enough, but the 

 calcium carbonate is in the form of minute, long, slender crystals, 

 instead of being the usual Cystodites discs, though a very few of 

 the latter have been found. My conclusion is that the original 

 spicules have been destroyed, probably by the formaldehyde in 

 which the specimens are preserved, and some of the calcium car- 

 bonate recrystallized in the form in which it now appears — 

 though why this recrystallization should have taken place is not 

 obvious. 



As to the zooids, they are everywhere so excessively contracted 

 that, in spite of much effort, I am unable to get at anything more 

 than their general features. So far as these go, I can not distin- 

 guish the specimens from C. Delle CJiiajae v. Dr., Neapolitan 

 specimens of which I have compared them with ; and from Lahille 

 ('90) I learn that, so far as the zooids are concerned, C. Delle 

 CJiiajae does not differ in any essential way from C. cretaceus. 

 On the whole, the zooids of my colonies are somewhat larger than 

 are those of C. Delle CJiiajae, but the difference may easily be due 

 to the fact that the specimens from Naples are preserved in alco- 

 hol, while the Californians are in formaldehyde. The milk-white 

 of the zooid capsules and the transparency of the remaining parts 

 of the test are the facts that make me associate these specimens 

 with C. cretaceous rather than with C. Delle CJiiajae. 



I think it is rather probable that when specimens of the Cali- 

 fornia species are obtained in such condition that all their charac- 

 ters can be made out, a new species will have to be formed for 

 them. Under present conditions, however, I must leave the point 

 in doubt. 



Station 4463, Point Pinos Light S. 17 °W. 8 miles. May 13, 

 1904, 111 to 41 fathoms, rocky bottom. 



