8 "ALBATROSS" EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



tulids, Gorgonians, and Antipathes, and a very considerable number of sili- 

 cious sponges, usually associated with the Holotliurians found in deep water 

 in the track of the Peruvian current. In the track of the current, at not 

 too great distances from the coast, we invariably brought up, even from 

 very considerable depths, sticks and twigs and fragments of vegetable 

 matter. On two ocasions we brought up in the trawl specimens of Octac- 

 nemus. The trawl had been working at 2235 and 2222 fathoms. Both 

 Moseley and Herdman described this interesting Ascidian as attached to the 

 bottom by a small peduncle. While the presence of the peduncle cannot be 

 denied, yet its attachment, if attached at all, must be of the slightest, its 

 transparent, slightly translucent body, with its eight large lobes, suggesting 

 rather a pelagic type than a sedentary form. Octacnemus was discovered 

 by the " Challenger " west of Valparaiso. 



In the "Albatross" Tropical Pacific expedition (1899-1900) Octacnemus 

 was obtained in the tow-net from less than 150 fathoms at station 15 Lat. 

 4° 35' N., Long. 136' 54' W., about 600 miles north of the Marquesas. 

 The "Albatross" also collected in 1883, on her way from New York to 

 San Francisco, specimens of Octacnemus, off Port Otway, Patagonia, in 

 1050 fathoms. They were described and figured by Sir. M. M. Metcalf,^ 

 showing that the individuals are not solitary but are attached to one anotlier 

 in a linear series by means of a slender stolon. It is possible that they were 

 attached to some solid object or normally lived upon the bottom. 



In the stomach of one of the specimens of Octacnemus was found a 

 species of Tanais. Of this Dr. Hansen says : The species is certainly new, and 

 the specimen well enough preserved so that it can be described. All the spe- 

 cies of Tanaidacea, some curious males perhaps excepted, live on the bottom, 

 some species rather near the shore, and many forms at considerable or great 

 depths. This is of interest in the present case, because it would serve to 

 show that the Octacnemus has taken the animal on the bottom and that 

 it therefore goes down to the depth recorded — 2222 fathoms. But as this 

 locality is comparatively near shore and in the track of the disturbances due 

 to the Humboldt current, it is not safe to assume that the Octacnemus lived 

 at that depth, as it is also known to live within 150 fathoms of the surface 

 in other localities. 



On our way from Callao to Easter Island in the early part of December, 



' Oct.'UMiemuspatagoniensis. Spengel, Zool. Jahrb. Abth. f. Anat u. Ontol., Bil. 13. PI. 40, fig. SO, 

 p. .572, 1900. 



