608 RITTER. 



posterior end of the zooid , stomach apparently somewhat longer 

 than broad, wall nearly or quite smooth, but extreme state of 

 contraction makes certainty here impossible. Intestinal loop 

 rather narrow, rectal portion running close along and parallel 

 with oesophagus ; rectum in all specimens examined contained 

 several large, elliptical, dark colored foecal masses ; anus about 

 midway of the length of the branchial sac. 



Reproductive Organs : Both ovary and testis placed along- 

 side the intestinal loop, the latter extending somewhat, though 

 but slightly behind it ; ovary small and with few ova in all the 

 specimens at hand ; testis rather large, in the form of a quite reg- 

 ular rosette. No embryos or buds seen. 



This species is closely related to a Distoma that is widely dis- 

 tributed on the coast of California, and which I have designated 

 in my MS. notes as Distoma y. It appears, however, to be 

 specifically distinct from it, D. y, being almost always with- 

 out systems, while D. lobata almost always possesses them. 

 The "bladder" cells, which are so characteristic of the test of 

 D. lobata, appear to be wholly wanting in D. y. Again, I have 

 never seen colonies of D. y of anything like the size of the largest 

 specimen of D. lobata. 



Interestingly enough the species resembles quite closely D. il- 

 lotuni Sluiter from the coast of South Africa, though it is un- 

 doubtedly specifically distinct from it. 



Amaroucium californicum Ritter (MS.). 



The Aniaroitciiini which I identify as A. califoniicuni is well 

 known to me from its abundance at various places on the coast 

 of California, particularly at Monterey Bay. The only point in 

 which the northern specimens present any difference from the 

 more southern ones is in the length of atrial languet. On the 

 whole this structure seems to be somewhat longer in the former 

 than in the latter. But its great variability, not only in general, 

 but particularly in zooids of the same colony, precludes the pos- 

 sibility of attaching any great importance to the difterence noted. 



