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



2. Farrea soUasii, n. sp. (PI. LXXIV. figs. 1-G). 



On the much macerated and half-eaten skeleton of a dead Japanese Farrea 

 occa (in Dr. Doderlein's collection), I found a system of dichotomous tubes about 3 cm. 

 hio-li, and evidently belonging to a Farrea, which in external appearance so closely 

 resembled Farrea occa that any special description is superfluous. It is, however, at 

 least probable that we have here the representative of another species. The difference 

 lies especially in the structure of the discohexasters scattered in the parenchyma. 

 They differ markedly from those of Farrea occa, so that I felt compelled to erect a 

 distinct species. 



I shall not enter into any detailed description of the strongly developed dictyonal 

 framework, with its rough internal and external conical radial bosses, nor of the uncinates 

 of various strength usually very much narrowed at the gastral extremity, nor of the dermal 

 and gastral framework as a whole, but refer simply to the distinct representation given in 

 PI. LXXIV. fig. 1. The length of the anchor-hooks in many of the gastral clavulae 

 (PL LXXIV. fig. 5) is rather remarkable. It is, however, necessary to call attention to 

 the peculiar discohexasters which occur in all parts of the dry skeleton, in more or less 

 abundance, beside the quite isolated oxyhexasters which occur in the form constantly 

 represented in Farrea occa. The basal portion of the uniformly developed rays of these 

 discohexasters seems rather shor,fr, and divides into three long thin rather outwardly bent 

 terminal rays, which bear on their outer ends a small transverse terminal plate, with four 

 to eight gently recurved marginal teeth (PL LXXIV. fig. 6). Besides these delicate and 

 weakly developed discohexasters, similar smaller forms here and there occur with stronger 

 terminal rays, bearing discs without marginal teeth, and on the whole more resembling 

 thickened knobs (PL LXXIV. fig. 1, left, below). 



3. Farrea vosmaeri, n. sp. (PL LXXIV. figs. 7-13). 



Among numerous specimens of Farrea occa, Carter, which Dr. Doderlein 

 dredged in Sagami Bay, Japan, from a depth of 100 to 200 fathoms, and preserved 

 immediately in spirit, there are some well-preserved portions of a Farrea, which m 

 microscopic appearance and in the structure of the individual siliceous elements differs 

 from Farrea occa, and so markedly from Farrea sollasii, that the erection of a distinct 

 species seems inevitable. The spicules are very like those of Aulodictyon woodwardii, 

 Sav. Kent, but they include oxyhexasters which are not represented in the latter. 

 The saving clause must again be noted, that it is possible that the divergent spicules have 

 been intruded from outside. As can be inferred from PL LXXIV. figs. 7, 10-13, neither 

 the general structure of the dictyonal framework nor the majority of the isolated 



