A. E. Verrill — New Actinians. 145 



often lacking or concealed in the smaller examples; in the 

 larger ones about 24 longer, alternating with shorter. Ten- 

 tacles of moderate size, thick, tapered, blunt, crowded in live 

 or six rows; in the larger specimens sometimes more than 144 

 in number ; the inner are much longer and stouter than the 

 outer ones. The walls of the tentacles are thick, and uniform. 

 In section the column-wall is generally thin, but tough ; 

 toward the collar it becomes gradually much thickened and 

 very firm. Sphincter muscle mesogloeal, imbedded in the 

 thick collar, large, diffuse, club-shaped distally. Mouth large, 

 with two broad shallow siphonoglyphs and about 12 to 14 dis- 

 tinct folds on each side. The siphonoglyphs may lie in the 

 direction of the short axis of the body, or the reverse. Mes- 

 enteries regularly hexamerous, in more than four cycles, the 

 fifth usually more or less incomplete ; 12 pairs are perfect and 

 fertile and in the larger specimens 16 pairs may join the 

 stomodseum near its upper end ; many of the smaller imper- 

 fect ones of the fourth cycle are also fertile ; those of the 

 fifth cycle are very small except close to the disk and basal 

 membranes where they become larger and some bear small 

 gonads close to the disk. No acontia were found. The 

 stomodseum is very short and broad, strongly plicated within. 

 The gonads are small ; those of the perfect mesenteries are 

 close to the base. Septal foramina of large size occur at about 

 mid-height of the column. Diameter of column of the larger 

 examples, contracted in alcohol, -85 inch (20-22 mm ) ; of base 

 1-5 inch (36 mm ); height of column "75 inch (18 mm ). 



Color in life was not noted. 



Station 1043, U. S. Fish Com., Str. Albatross, in 130 fathoms 

 off E. coast U. States, latitude of Delaware Bay. 



This species has the habit common to many genera and 

 species of deep-sea Paractidce and Sagartiadce of clasping 

 with its base the stalks of hydroids, gorgonise, sponges, etc. 

 When the opposite lobes come in contact they unite in a 

 suture.* So, likewise, do the edges of the bases of adjacent 

 individuals, as shown in fig. 18, A, B, C, and fig. 22. 



* Hertwig made this habit a generic and family character, in the case of 

 A mphianthus and Stephana dis, giving it, undoubtedly, an exaggerated importance, 

 for the same species may live either in this way or attached by a broad base to 

 a shell or stone, as I have repeatedly observed in Actinauge Verrillii McMur. 

 (= nodosa Ver.) and other species. It is even doubtful whether it should be of 

 generic value in any case. Stephanactis was used by me in 1868 for a genus 

 near Discosoma, consequently I propose for the group thus named by Hertwigthe 

 new name. Stephanauge. It is near Actinauge and Hormathia. The type, 

 Stephanauge abyssicola (Moseley, 1871) is identical with my Actinauge nexilis 

 (1883) and came from the same region. S tuberculata (Hert.) is very similar, if 

 not the same, but it came from the Pacific Ocean, as did S. hyalonematis (McMur., 

 1883), which last is very imperfectly known. The structure of this genus will be 

 discussed later It differs from Actinauge chiefly in having the thick wall smooth 

 below the fold, and perforated by distinct tin elides. 



Am. Jour. Sci. — Fourth Series, Vol. VII. No. 38.— February, 1899. 

 10 



