18 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



colonies quelquefois assez distantes les unes des autres. Nous les avons obsei'vdes a, 

 des profoudeurs bien definies et cela h. partir de 860 metres jusquh, 2200 metres." 



" Les Aseonema ont et^ trouvees avec les Aphrocallistes ; les Hyalonema et les 

 Euplectella etaient presque tousjours associ^es." 



A Catalogue of the Fossil Sponges in the Geological Department of the British 

 Museum, which appeared in 1883, contains a thorough account, by G. J. Hindc, of the 

 fossil Sponges in the above museum. The Hexactinellida are thoroughly discussed, and 

 the whole work closely adheres to Zittel's system. In my general survey I. may 

 subsequently refer to the fossil Hexactinellids, and shall then rely on Zittel's pioneer 

 work and on Hinde's excellent memoir. 



In 1884' Zittel demonstrated that the family of Astylospongidas (with the genera 

 Astylospongia, F. Rcemer, Palieomanon, F. Eoemer, ProtachiUeum, Zittel, and Eospongia, 

 Billings) belonged not to the Hexactinellida, as had been hitherto supposed, but to the 

 Lithistida, and, in fact, to the group Anomocladina. 



In a collection of marine Sponges gathered in Japan by Dr. T. Anderson, Mr. H. 

 T. Carter ^ notes the occurrence of four Japanese Hexactinellids, namely, Hyalonema 

 sieboldii. Gray, Farrea occa, Bowerbank, Periphragella elisse, Marshall, and Hexac- 

 tinella ventilabrum, new species. Carter. Of these accurate descriptions are given, 

 based partly on dried specimens. Especially important in this report, as it appears to 

 me, is a clear and comprehensive description of the skeletal parts of Farrea occa, 

 Bowerbank, accompanied with excellent figures. A definite and reliable conception of 

 this, hitherto somewhat indistinct, species has thus been established. 



' Jahrb. f. Miii-, Bd. ii. p. To, 1884. ■ Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, 1885, ser. 5, vol. xv. p. 387. 



