362 Transactio7is of the Society. 



degree. It differs in many features from the species already de- 

 scribed, and we propose for it the specific name rugosa in con- 

 sequence of the warted or tufted external surface which its very 

 characteristic method of construction entails. 



The specimen on which the species is founded was dredged by 

 the Scottish Fisheries' cruiser " Goldseeker," from a depth of 

 330 metres, in the Northern Area of the Shetland-Faroe Channel. 

 Station XVIIIa lies in 60° 57' N. latitude and 5° 47' W. longitude 

 on the Faroe side of the Northern or cold area of deep water. The 

 depth at this Station is very variable ; no two hauls ever agree 

 within many fathoms, and the bottom is foul. No doubt the 

 Station lies among submarine gorges and cliffs rising from the 

 deep water to the submerged plateau which surrounds the Faroe 

 Islands. Dredge and trawl usually bring up only a mass of stones, 

 with abundant Echinoderm and sponge fauna, and some dark 

 basaltic sand. Foraminifera are varied, but not particularly 

 abundant. 



So far we have only met with a single specimen of Nouria 

 rugosa, in spite of an exhaustive search, but time and patience 

 will no doubt provide more material. Meanwhile for purposes of 

 record a description and figures based on the individual specimen 

 must suffice. 



Nouria rugosa sp. n. 



Test free, polythalamous, consisting of at least two chambers, 

 the last-formed chamber completely enclosing its predecessor, the 

 presence of which is only disclosed when the specimen is viewed as 

 a transparent object. 



In shape roughly fusiform, bulbous at aboral end, somewhat 

 constricted in the middle and tapering at the oral extremity to a 

 short thick neck, which is cut off obliquely and terminates with an 

 inverted lip round a central aperture. 



Greatest length exactly 2 mm. Greatest breadth at bulbous 

 extremity • 8 mm., narrowing rapidly from this point to a diameter 

 of • 5 mm. in the widest part of the constricted body. Diameter 

 of apertural end 0*27 mm. 



The test is built up of small sponge spicules, of curved oxea 

 type with obtusely blunted points. These spicules are of re- 

 markably uniform size, measuring rather less than 1 mm. in 

 length. They are regularly arranged in a single superficial layer, 

 generally in groups having the convex edge of one spicule fitting 

 into the concavity of the next, thus forming little patches with even 

 regular surface. The curved shape of the spicules necessitates a 

 frequent change of direction in the arrangement of the spicules, 

 resulting in adjacent patches of opposed curves. Such patches, of 

 course, entail a space or lacuna between them, a space less than a 



