EEPORT ON THE HEXACTINELLIDA. 297 



stalk in the scopulfe of Eurete farreopsis. The terminal knob-like thickening may, aa 

 shown in figs. 9, 10, be pear-shaped, or be more sharply differentiated from the thin stalk, 

 so as to approach nearer to the spherical form. 



The uncinates are feeble and not very long, but beset with fine barbs. 



The small discohexasters which are scattered quite irregularly in the parenchyma 

 bear, on each of their principal rays, three or four straight terminals, which are 

 irregularly disposed, or arranged hke the petals of a lily (PI. LXXVIII. figs. 11, 12). 



Moreover, at certain spots here and there, but in special abundance in the basal regions 

 there are simple hexacts, which are either smooth or provided with scattered tubercles, 

 and run out to fine points. These originally lie freely in the parenchyma, but subse- 

 quently amalgamate with the dictyonal framework of beams, or with one another, and 

 so contribute to the thickening or strengthening of the continuous skeleton. 



5. Eurete marshalli, n. sp. (PI. LXXIX. figs. 1-4). 



A species closely related to Eurete farreopsis and Eurete carteri, was found near the 

 Little Ki Island (Station 192, lat. 5° 49' 15" S., long. 132° 14' 15" E.) at a depth of 

 140 fathoms, on a blue mud ground. Two specimens were obtained, both covered with 

 small Actinise. The smaller is represented in PL LXXIX. fig. 1. In its smooth, or only 

 slightly toothed strands, and thickened spinose nodes of intersection, the dictyonal frame- 

 work closely resembles that of Eurete farreopsis. On the other hand the parenchyma 

 includes numerous oxyhexacts with long divergent terminals (PL LXXIX. fig. 3) very 

 different from the corresponding spicules in the above species. Between the beams of 

 the dictyonal framework small simple hexacts are present, and also uncinates beset 

 round about with slender pointed barbs; neither of these forms, however, exhibit any 

 striking peculiarities. The spicules of the dermal and gastral skeleton are so closely alike 

 that a separate description is quite unnecessary. The slightly curved tangential rays of 

 the pentact hypodermalia and hypogastralia are rough at their rounded ends, and the 

 same is true of the long proximal. The tubercle which frequently occurs as a persistent 

 trace of the undeveloped sixth ray is usually inconspicuous. A noteworthy fact, and 

 distinctive of this form as distinguished from Eurete farreopsis, is this, that the somewhat 

 markedly divergent terminal rays of the scopulse, which are provided -with pear-shaped 

 barbed terminal knobs, exhibit no bend or break in their thin stalks, but are quite straight 

 throughout their entire length. 



6. Eurete howerbankii, n. sp. (PL LXXIX. figs. 9-13). 



Among the Japanese specimens of Eurete collected by Dr. Doderlein in Sagami Bay 

 by aid of the dredge and trawl, and well preserved in spirit, there occurs a tree-like form 



(ZOOL. CHALL. EXP. PART LIII. 1887.) Ggg^ 38 



