HYMENIACIDOX. 85 



abundantly spiculous ; spicula acuate, slender, same 

 size as those of the skeleton, dispersed. Skeleton 

 rather open and cavernous, abundantly spiculous ; 

 spicula acuate, long, and slender. 



" Colour. In the dried state, creain-white. 



" Habitat. Coast of Durham, in 20 to 35 fathoms ; 

 Kev. A. M. Norman. 



" Examined. In the dried state. 



*' I received a single specimen of this sponge from 

 my friend the Rev. A. M. Norman. It slightly exceeds 

 one inch in height, and its diameter averages about 

 two lines ; there is no natural base to it, so that its 

 height may have been greater than it is at present. 

 The structure of the sponge is very simple ; there is 

 but one form of spiculum, a slender and rather long 

 acuate, which is of the same size and proportions 

 in both dermis and skeleton membranes, and in both 

 they appear to be about equally numerous. In the 

 form and size of the spicula and in their mode of 

 disposition in the sponge this species closely ap- 

 proaches Hymeniacidon medius, but the skeleton 

 spicula do not appear to be at all subfusiforru as in the 

 last-named species. It differs also in its colour, and 

 especially so in its external form." 



31. HTMENIACIDON VARIANS, Boiu. t n, 174 ; in, PI. 

 XXXIII, fig. 14. PL XLV, figs. 3234. 



1861 Halichondria variantia, Bowerbank. List Brit. Marine 



Invert. Fauna (Brit. Assoc.), p. 69. 



1867 Asyclms variantia, Gray. Proc. Zool. Soc., p. 539. 

 1870 Desmacidon varians, Schmidt. Spong. Atlant. Get)., 



p. 76, 



