346 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



spherical granules (st. gr., Plate 2, fig. 3) arranged in a broad band, 

 mainly equatorial in position, take on a blue color indicating the pres- 

 ence of starch in the territory adjacent to the nucleus. 



The demonstration of the nuclei in this protoplasmic mass was a 

 matter of great difficulty and remains still in considerable uncertainty. 

 The material had been preserved in rather strong formalin and even 

 after subsequent treatment with reagents such as Schaudinn's sub- 

 limate-acetic and with Fleming's fluid and attempts to stain with 

 picro-carmine, Guebler's haematoxylin-eosin, Arnold's stain, and 

 Morell and Salon's rubincresyl~blue, no clear and conclusive nuclear 

 outlines could be sharply demonstrated in the densely granular mass. 

 Decolorization sufficient to clear the granular mass left no stain in the 

 nuclei. Certain pale faintly granular areas of ellipsoidal form cen- 

 trally located in each member of the chain have been provisionally 

 interpreted by us as nuclei (n., Plate 1, fig. 3). 



Dimensions: length 25 to 45 /x (incomplete in chain); transdiam- 

 eter, 27-68 p: dorso-ventral diameter about the same; width of girdle 

 about 5 p. 



Variation: In size the variation is considerable. There is also 

 some variation in the displacement of the girdle. 



Comparisons: Differs from G. catenata as shown below. 



G. catenata (Lev.) G. series, sp. no v. 



Surface reticulate smooth 



Antapex with spines without spines 



Length 23-24 p. 25-45m (incomplete) 



Transdiameter 31 /x. 27-68 p. 



Distribution northern, neritic, brackish tropical, oceanic. 



It is obviously impossible to settle the matter of relationships of 

 the two forms until the fully developed theca of G. series with its 

 apical and antapical regions and its surface markings, if any, are 

 known. Levander's species has thus far been reported only from 

 northern and eastern Baltic, Limfiord (Denmark), and the west 

 coast of Greenland, that is from cold and somewhat brackish coastal 

 waters. Of G. series but one chain has been taken and that in oceanic 

 conditions in tropical waters. 



Summary. 



Gonyaulax series, sp. no v. presents a unique type of asexual repro- 

 duction (schizogony) resulting in the formation of a linear chain in 



