REPORT ON THE CALCAREA. 49 



Dermal triradiate spicules. — Basal ray straight, tapering from base to sharp point, with a, 

 diameter of 0015 mm,; length inconstant, not exceeding 0'45 mm.; lateral rays straight, 

 cylindrical, rarely longer than 025 mm., one and a half times as thick as basal ray, each 

 forming with this latter an angle of about 115°. 



Dermal acerate spicules. — Slender, spindle-like, altiining a length of 0*1 mm. and a diameter of 

 0-0025 mm. 



Colour. — Pale yellowish. 



Habitat— Station 145, December 27, 1873; lat. 4G° 40' S., long. 37° 50' E.; 

 off Prince Edward Islands; depth, 310 and 150 fathoms. 



Amphoriscus flamma, n. sp. (PI. I. fig. 5 ; PI. V. figs. 3a~3g). 



The species is represented in the collection by a colony of twenty tubular individuals, 

 almost all of which are turned towards the same side, the whole producing the effect of 

 the many tongued flame of a wood fire blown by the wind from the vertical direction. 

 Each individual is provided with an osculum fringed by fine linear acerate spicules. The 

 outer surface of the tubes is bristly, the inner surface is roughened by the apical rays of 

 the gastric quadriradiate spicules. The diameter of the tubes is in different individuals 

 of different sizes, varying from 3 to 7 mm. The average thickness of the walls is 1 mm. 

 The form to which Amphoriscus Jiamma shows the closest relation is Amphoriscus 

 poculum, but the presence of quadriradiate, the number of acerate, and the larger size of 

 tlie subgastric and subdermal triradiate spicules necessitate the establishment of a new 

 species. 



Skeleton. — The skeleton consists of gastric quadriradiate, of subgastric triradiate, of 

 subdermal triradiate, of dermal triradiate, and of stout acerate spicules, piercing centri- 

 petally the wall of the Sponge, and projecting from the outer, often also from the inner, 

 surface, as well as of fine acerate spicules of the osculum. 



Gastric quadriradiate spicules. — Basal ray straight, either sharply or bluntly pointed, 015 to - 25 

 mm. long, forming with each of the lateral rays an angle of about 125° ; lateral rays 

 curved outwards, of cylindrical form, length varying from 0'3 to - 45 mm.; apical ray 

 curved, - 15 mm. long or less, usually sharply, not seldom bluntly pointed, like the lateral 

 rays - 01-0'0125 mm. thick, the basal ray being either of the diameter of the other rays 

 or rather thicker. 



Subdermal triradiate spicides. — Of the same form as the corresponding spicules in Amphoriscus 

 poculum, but of different dimensions ; all rays of the same diameter (0'03 mm.) ; average 

 length : — basal ray - 28 mm., shorter lateral ray 038 mm., longer lateral ray 0-5 mm. 



Subgastric triradiate spicules. — Just of the same form as the subgastric triradiate spicules in 

 Amphoriscus elongatus, but of larger size ; basal ray reaching - 7 mm., lateral rays 0'36 mm. 

 in length, and 0'045 mm. in diameter. Some are provided with a rudimentary fourth ray. 



(ZOOL. CHALL. EXP. — PART XXIV. 1883.) Ail 7 



