1911] Kofoid: The Genus Gonyaulax. 241 



Comparisons: Gonijaulax polyedra is quite distinct from all 

 other species of the genus except G. milneri, in the character 

 of its apical plates and in the presence of two anterior intercal- 

 aries. The absence of linear markings and the four apical plates 

 distinguish it at once from G. polygramma, its common associate 

 in subtropical waters, and the absence of antapical spines and 

 shorter, more angular epitlieca, as well as four apicals, mark it 

 off from the G. spinifera group, with species of which it is often 

 found. The other species (ceratocoroides, milneri), with four or 

 more apicals, either have no anterior intercalary, or at the most 

 but one. 



Synonomy : This species is so well marked that it has rarely 

 been confused with others. Okamura's (1907) figure assigned to 

 this species is Goniodoma acuminatum Stein. 



Ehrenberg (1859) described as Peridinium splendor maris, a 

 highly phosphorescent dinoflagellate from the plankton in August 

 at Naples and later (1873, pi. 1, figs. 7-18) figured it. and in 

 the explanation of the plate suggested the new generic name 

 Blepharocysia for this organism. The description and the figures 

 in both cases are entirely inadequate for certain reidentification. 

 Stein (1883) admirably figures an organism which he assigns to 

 Ehrenberg 's " Blepharocysia splendor maris (z. Theil) " noting 

 particularly in his brief text ' ' Ehrenberg warf damit noch andere 

 unklare Formen zusammen." Stein does not, however, state 

 which of the several forms figured by Ehrenberg he regards as 

 the part of the agglomeration equivalent to B. splendor maris. 

 Jorgensen (1899) criticizes Stein's procedure on the ground 

 that Ehrenberg 's figures show an impressed girdle while the B. 

 splendor maris of Stein's figures entirely lacks impression of the 

 girdle into the contour of the body. He further notes the fact 

 that two of Ehrenberg's figures (figs. 11 and 12) evidently 

 belong to Gonyaulax polyedra, to which I agree. However, I see 

 no ground, beyond the statement in the original description and 

 in the explanation of Ehrenberg's plate that there are three end 

 plates in each half of the theca, for accepting Jorgensen 's sug- 

 gestion that Ehrenberg's figures 7 to 10 are possibly referable to 

 Goniodoma acuminatum Stein. No one of these figures shows 



