72 



I'ORIFKRA. II. 



Faroe Islands, depths 363 fathoms and bottom temperature -f- o = 3 C. Levinsen's specimens are from 

 the Kara Sea, depths 50 — 70 fathoms, the bottom temperature is also here negative. From these facts 

 it is seen that the species is a native of a bottom with negative temperature. 



8. A. comata n. sp. 

 PI. II, Figs. 22—23. P1 - XI1 ' Fi g- l a ~ f - 



Formed as a compressed calyx on a stalk; the upper end of the calyx with a fringe of exceedingly 

 fine spicules. The skeleton consists in the stalk of a spicnla axis, in the calyx-wall of needles, partly 

 placed in the longitudinal direction; from stalk and calyx spicules project. Spicula: Megasclera of four 

 forms, stv/i in the axis 0-44 — o-j/""", subtylostyli in the calyx-wall 0-238 — 0-476""", subtylostyli in the 

 refolded calyx-edge 0-149 — 0-23""". and styli with a long, curved, very fine point, projecting from the 

 stalk and the calyx and forming the upper fringe 0-7 — 1-4""". between them pearl-st ring-formed styli ; 

 microsclera of one form, anisoclielce palmatie of the characteristic type 0-017 — 0-0/9""". 



Of this species we have only one specimen, and the fact of this species being of a very slight 

 size has somewhat hindered the examination. As to the exterior it is somewhat similar to iufuudi- 

 bulum, and is formed as a calyx on a thin stalk; the calyx is highly compressed, and consequently flat. 

 From the stalk and the calyx long, hair-like needles project and form round the edge of the calyx a 

 fringe which is, however, little conspicuous to the naked eye. The stalk is below for some way 

 attached to a spouge-spicule, which accordingly serves as a substratum for the sponge. The total 

 height of the sponge is io mm , of which the stalk is fully 7"™. The breadth of the calyx is 2 mm , and 

 the thickness of the stalk only crio mm The colour (in spirit) is whitish The surface, as before men- 

 tioned, is shaggy from long, hair-like spicules. With regard to dermal membrane, pores and oscula I 

 can say nothing. 



The skeleton. In the stalk the skeleton consists of an axis of closely united parallel spicules. 

 From this axis fine, long-pointed spicules issue; with their head-end they are interwoven between the 

 spicides of the axis, or otherwise attached to the axis, and the}' are very projecting; in the lower 

 part of the stalk they project almost horizontally, but they become the more upwardly directed, the 

 farther up the stalk we go. The stalk passes gradually into the calyx; in the lower part of the calyx- 

 wall the spicules are not arranged in any observable order; some are lying in the longitudinal direc- 

 tion, but otherwise they are lying in all directions parallel to that in which the wall extends. In the 

 upper half of the calyx-wall the spicules are arranged in such a manner as to be lying chiefly or 

 exclusively in the longitudinal direction parallel to each other, and from here issue the spicules that 

 form the mentioned fringe along the edge of the calyx. In the upper edge of the calyx, which is 

 also refolded in this species, shorter spicules of a particular form are found. In the stalk spougiu 

 was observed. 



Spicula: Megasclera; these are styli or subtylostyli, and they occur in several forms. The axis 

 of the stalk is formed by styli which are straight or most frequently slightly curved; they are fusiform, 

 tapering somewhat towards the head-end, the opposite end grows evenly thinner to a long point. 

 Their size seems to be rather constant, their length was measured to 0-44— cr5i mm , the thickness is 



