A FEW CGELENTERATES OF WOODS HOLL. I 1 3 



While Nutting lists this species in his " Hydroids of the Woods 

 Hole Region," it is apparently on the authority of Verrill, who 

 records the species as having been taken in the region of Block 

 Island, and in Fisher's Island Sound. The specimens hereunder 

 mentioned were obtained by Vinal N. Edwards off Sankety Light, 

 Nantuckett, from a depth of 25 fathoms. This would seem 

 therefore to be the first definite record of the species from the 

 immediate region, if indeed this may be so designated. 



A few points as to structural features seem worthy of note. 

 One interesting fact not hitherto mentioned in its morphology, 

 though well known in the fascicled stems of the Plumularidae, is 

 the intercommunications of the several stem elements by means 

 of strands of ccenosarc, adjacent tubes showing very clearly such 

 connecting strands. This may be seen in the enlarged drawing, 

 Fig. 17. It is most evident near the apical region, and probably 

 occurs during rapid growth. Another point not mentioned, 

 though probably known, is the variable number of stems in a 

 given fascicle. In young specimens the tubes were as few as 

 five, while in others they were more numerous. Fig. 16 shows 

 the general aspects- of a colony. 



In size my specimens varied from 20 to 30 mm. in height, the 

 stems ending abruptly at the distal end, as shown in the figures. 



No gonangia were present on any of the specimens. This fact 

 with that of the small size of the specimens, would seem to indi- 

 cate their immaturity. 



Lafcea. — On the same shell from which the previous speci- 

 mens were taken I also found a species of Lafcea of whose exact 

 relations I am in some doubt. There were features which at 

 first inclined me to regard it as L. gracillima. Further com- 

 parison showed still other features allying it with L. pocillum. 

 Unfortunately, the specimens had been allowed to become dried 

 up before they were recognized, hence the uncertainty in their 

 identification. 



A single gonosome was found encasing in part a stem of Tubn- 

 laria on which the colony was growing, and in part the stolon- 

 iferous portion of the colony. Its features were very much like 

 that figured for L. dumosa. 



