REPORT ON THE HEXACTINI^ 39 



tips of the tentacles "dark red." For the present, however, it 

 seems advisable to regard it as distinct from the present form, but 

 I may point out that the form described by Fewkes from Santa 

 Barbara as Bunodes calif or nica is in all probability assignable to 

 Verrill's species. 



Genus Epiactis, Verrill. 



This genus was established by Verrill in 1869 for the re- 

 ception of a form from Puget Sound which was characterized by 

 having the young adherent to the outer surface of the column. 

 In 1899 Verrill published a brief description of the structural 

 peculiarities of the type, referring it to the family Cribrinidae 

 (Bunodactid^e) on account of its possession of a circumscribed 

 endodermal sphincter. 



It seems doubtful whether the fact that the young adhere to 

 the column wall is sufficient for the establishment of a distinct 

 genus, but in other respects E. prolifera seems to be sufficiently 

 distinct from other Cribrinids to warrant the retention of the 

 genus. It is one of the smooth-walled genera and differs from 

 Leiotealia (Hertwig, '82) in the form of the sphincter and of the 

 muscle pennon, while from Isotealia (Carlgren, '99) it is dis- 

 tinguished by the absence of pseudoacrorhagi.^ 



6. Epiactis prolifcj'a, Verrill. 



Synonytns. — Epiactis prolifera, Verrill, 1869''. 

 Epiactis fertilis, Andres, 1883. 



The specimens in the collection were found growing upon 

 the weeds and water grasses at Hadlock Harbor, Puget Sound. 



Extcvjial Form (Fig. 25). — The base is adherent. The column 

 is marked by longitudinal grooves and more distinctly with 

 transverse grooves and wrinkles, probably due to contraction, 



^ I am inclined to agree with Carlgren ('99) that the form I described ('93) as 

 Leiotealia badia is identical with his Isotealia antarciica. In looking over my prepa- 

 rations I notice that in some of the sections the sphincter is decidedly nearer the 

 margin than it is in others, though in all it is the same distance above the floor of 

 the fosse. This seems to indicate the existence of the pseudoacrorhagi which Carl- 

 gren describes. But, since my preparations were made from a small portion of a 

 single highly contracted individual, it seems preferable to await a reexamination of 

 the type, now in the U. S. National Museum, before deciding the question. 



