FLORIDAN BRTOZOA. 25 



elongata, apice distaliter versa, inter zooecia disponuntur, ocecia, quse gra- 

 milis rugosa sunt, apice proximaliter versa coronant vel etiam inter hasc 

 eandem directionem servant. Latitudo aperturas zooecii circ. 0,17 mm. 

 Hab.: Fragmentum colonia?, Hemescharse modo nascentis, cepit Pourtales in 

 prof. 36 org. 



In placing, provisionally, this species in the Eschariporidan family, we must con- 

 fess it to be done against our own views on this point, because, as I ever have in- 

 sisted upon, in arranging the Escharine group into its separate families, the form of the 

 mouth will be the most important character and, in dubious cases, as to the affinity, will be 

 the surest guide. Now, in this respeet, the present species, without doubt, comes nearest 

 to the true Escharce, or their nearest allies, the Discoporce, as defined in my former papers. 



But as it wants the median avicularinm, which, in the first-named family, is so 

 commonhy developed, as well as the internal denticle of the mouth, which, in the same 

 manner, is a common appearance in the Discoporce, with our present knowledge, 

 its best systeraatical place, at least provisionally, will be in the beginning of the escharine 

 series, until we, possibly, will be enabled to show, that the Eschariporidan constitution 

 of the front side of the zooecia is a prototypical state, also, for the other Escharine families. 



The form of the ovate zooecia, in their young state only, in the margin of the 

 colony, will be well appreciated. Their plainly convex, rugose front-side in the middle 

 is perforated by three, sometimes two or four, lunate pores, arranged concentrically. 

 Their horizontal. horseshoe-shaped mouth has the proximal margin straight or a little 

 concave. At the middle of this margin, between the mouth and the above-named po- 

 res, the front side, usually, develops a blunt eminence (mucro). The elongated, raised 

 avicularia are developed in the furrows between the zooecia, taking their place usually in 

 a line with the above-named eminence, with their tip directed towards the perifery of 

 the colony or. obliquely outwards from the zooecial row. The half-spherical ocecia have 

 their wall rugose, in the same manner as the zooecia. When the ooecia are developed, 

 the avicularia in their direction turn round. 



As the calcification goes on, at first it fills up the furrows between the zooecia, 

 marking their limits through irregular rows of secondary pores. At last, the whole 

 front side of the zooecia is covered by this layer, with the exception of a great hole 

 in their middle, into which the above-named lunate pores open themselves, now, 

 usually, of a more irregular form. Of this species Pourtales took a little fragment 

 of an irregular Hemeschara-growih, W. off Tortugas. 



As further examples of that group, which, I think, most properly will be named 

 Escharipora, I may cite the Eschara lichenoides x ) and Eschara distoma 2 ), described by 

 Busk. Very near to the first-named species is to be placed the 



l ) Cat. Brit. Blus., Polyz., p. 90, pl. CVI, figs. 1 — 3. 



This species, as already remarked by Kirchenpauer (Mus. Godeffroy, Cat. IV, pag. XXVIII) has nothing 



to do with the Esch. lichenoides, as described by Milne-Edwards. 

 -) Lepralia distoma, Quart. Journ. Micr. Se, vol. VI, p. 127, Zooph., tab. XVIII, fig. 1; Eschara distoma, 



ibid., vol. VII, p. 66, Zooph., tab. XXII, figg. 10—12. 



K. Vet. Akad. Handl. lä. 11. K:o 4. 4 



