-6 PORIFERA. II. 



that cannot be interpreted as special dermal spicules. The species has of megasclera stvli o-58 mm long, 

 of microsclera anisochelse oo27' nm long, and forcipes o - 076 mm long 1 ). 



A. minuta Lambe might, as to its exterior, remind of infundibulum, but its spiculation is differ- 

 ent. According to Lambe the megasclera are of two kinds, styli or subtylostyli 0-327 — o-543 mm long 

 and o - oo6 — croo8 mm thick which form the principal part of the skeleton, and small tylostyli 0-196 — 

 o-294 mm long and 0-005 — o-oo6 mm thick which project from the surface. The microsclera are anisochelse 

 o - oi8 — 0-019™™ long, which, to judge from the figure, may be said with certainty to belong to the 

 Cotylma-type. 



The genus As b estop luma, consequently, is chiefly characterized by its erect symmetrical form 

 with the skeletal structure contingent npon this form, and by the occurrence of a small chela of 

 peculiar type. As will have been seen in the preceding, it is, however, with regard to both these 

 features, divided into three groups, and to this division contributes further the occurrence in one of 

 these groups of sigmata and of a stalk-coating with special spicules. The subgenus Asbestopluma s. str., 

 formed for the first of these three groups, is accordingly characterized as to its form by distinct, often 

 rather long, well separated lateral branches, by a small chela, the larger alse of which reach far down 

 towards the smaller end, which latter is narrow, and by the occurrence of sigmata and of a stalk- 

 coating with a spiculation of finely spinulous tylostyli or tylostrougyla. On the other hand, the occur- 

 rence of the large chela cannot be used, as this chela is wanting in two of the species. The second 

 subgenus, Lycopodiiia, is characterized by its often shorter, sometimes less well separated branches, 

 which also sometimes all issue from the top of the stalk, and by a small chela, the larger alee of 

 which pass quite down to the opposite end of the chela, which end is broad and of a peculiar form. 

 Sigmata and stalk-coating are not found. The occurrence of forcipes cannot be used, as these spicules 

 partly are wanting in one species, and partly may be found in the third subgenus. This third sub- 

 genus, Cotylma, is well characterized by its form, which is as a calyx (or a head) on a stalk; it has a 

 small chela, the larger alse of which pass to about the middle of the shaft, the smaller end of the 

 chela is constructed about as in the preceding subgenus, showing, however, characteristic differences, 

 and a transverse section of it shows an elliptic contour. Sigmata and stalk-coating are not found, 

 but forcipes occur in two of the species. Thus the two first subgenera are especially separated by 

 the form of the chela, and by having or wanting sigmata and stalk-coating, the two last genera by 

 the form of the chela and by the outer form of the sponge. Whether the peculiar, long pointed, pro- 

 jecting spicules occurring in two of the described species of the subgenus Cotylina may possibly prove 

 to be characteristic of the genus, cannot yet be decided. 



According to the account rendered in the preceding of the species that have not been fully- 

 treated here, all the known Asbestoplin/ia-species may, as far as the fact can be decided from the lite- 

 rature, be grouped in the following way in the established three subgenera: 



') In Topsent's work from 1904, which I have received later, the author himself draws the attention to the fact 

 that versatilis is to be referred here. 



