PORIFERA. II. 57 



Embryos. In this sponge embryos were most frequently found; they occurred partly in the upper 

 ramifications, partly somewhat lower down. They were, as far as I could see, situated in the canals 

 just inside the outermost layer of spicules, but each embryo appeared to be inclosed in a cavity 

 of its own, and the places in which they occurred were a little swollen and thus fusiform. The 

 embryos are roundish or oval, and have an average diameter of o'3' nm . In contradistinction to the 

 embryos found in pennatula, both megascleres and microscleres are found here. The megascleres are 

 all subtylostyli; they are similar to those in the grown individual, but are often a little more curved, 

 and the head may be marked off in different ways; they have also on an average a somewhat longer 

 point. Thev are smaller than in the grown sponge and have an average length of o-2o8 mm . Of micro- 

 scleres only the small chela and sigmata are found; both of them are fully developed, and they show a 

 peculiar and surprising feature, being both a little larger than in the grown sponge. Thus sigmata 

 reach a length of o - 02i mm , and the chelae are 0-0114 — o-oi43 mm long. According to this it must be sup- 

 posed that the first formed of these chelse and sigmata are a little larger than the final form, which 

 appears later. Chelae and sigmata are present in great numbers. The embryos seem here to leave 

 the sponge by a bursting of the wall, the outer layer of spicules being in several places swelled out 

 by the embryos underneath, and in a few cases a hole and an empty cavity are seen. 



Locality: Station 101, 62 23' Lat. N., i2°05' Long. W., depth 537 fathoms (bottom temperature 

 -r-o°7C), one specimen. Further it has been taken on 62 53' Lat. N., 4 14' Long. E., depth 450 fathoms, 

 one specimen, and east of Iceland without any statement of depth, five specimens (Ad. Jensen, 

 the cruise of the « Michael Sars 1902). The localities are situated east and northeast of Iceland, and at 

 the coast of Norway. With regard to the two last localities no bottom temperature has been given, 

 but they are situated in the cold area, and thus this species is also a native of the cold bottom. 



Note. Of Armauer Hansen's figures to Espcria bihamatifrra (The Norwegian North- 

 Atlantic Exp.) I am inclined to suppose, and I think there is great reason for supposing, PI. VII, fig. 4, 

 and especially PI. Ill, fig. 5 to be the present species. 



As will have been seen, the species of this subgenus are distinguished by a peculiar coating 

 layer on the stalk. At first one might be inclined to think that the question was of a separate 

 sponge incrusting the stalk of these sponges, as is also pointed out by Top sent by the men- 

 tioning of pennatula and Bclgica I.e.; but the constant occurrence of the layer, and the difference of 

 its spicules in the different species proves it to be a formation belonging to the sponge. Those species 

 of the subgenus of which rather intact specimens have been examined, show a formation of roots. 

 This formation is connected with the fact, that they are no doubt sunk into the bottom of the sea, as 

 it would seem, with a very long part of the stalk. I suppose that this is also the reason why they 

 are provided with the coating layer. The species furcata, however, is an exception, as it is not sunk 

 into the bottom, but is attached with its base. Nevertheless it has the coating layer, but it is very 

 thin and shows the peculiarity that it reaches very far up, often to the last ramifications. 



The In^olf-Expedition VI. 2. 8 



