PORIFERA. I. 49 



They are on an average placed at a distance of the length of one spicnle from each other. They are 

 connected by spicnles placed more or less perpendicularly on the fibres, and at such a distance from 

 each other, that the whole thing forms a reticular work with more or less quadratic, often rather 

 irregular meshes. The spicules connecting the primary fibres, are far from being arranged so regularly 

 as those fibres; they form no coherent fibres, and are most frequenth' found single, but several may 

 also be found together in bundles; far from being always perpendicular on the primary fibres, they 

 are often placed in an oblique direction with regard to those fibres. Spongin has not been observed, 

 and does not appear to be present. 



Spicula are Oxea, found in two different sizes, rather distincth- separated; the larger ones are 

 comparatively long oxea; the\- are evenly, but not long tapering, and generally evenly, but sometimes 

 more sharph-, curved, more rarely straight; the length varies between 0-235 — o-aGS""", or a little longer; 

 a few shorter ones ma}- be found, and they may go down so far in size as to form a transition to 

 the smaller ones. The thickness is only little varying, most frequently it is o-oii'"". The small spi- 

 cules have a length of 0-107— ca. 0-15""", '^'^'^^ ^ thickness of ca. o-cxjj'""^ they are comparatively more 

 curved than the large ones, and also sometimes sharply bent. We ma>-, as mentioned, also find spi- 

 cules occupying, with regard to size, a position between the larger and the smaller ones; but the 

 small spicules cannot be taken to be developmental forms of the large ones, for as such forms the 

 longer, finer needles occurring in small numbers, must be taken. The small spicules are found in far 

 smaller numbers than the large ones, and they do not appear to be restricted to certain parts of 

 the sponge. 



This interesting .species seems to be alHed to R. subglobosa Ridley and Dendy (Challeng. 

 Report, Monaxonida, XX, 17, PI. I, figs. 3, 3 a, PI. II, fig. 17), but among other things it is distinguished 

 from this species by the spicules, which are in the latter one 0-3'"'" long. Neither is there any men- 

 tioning of the spicules being of two sizes, and the species is stated to be possessed of a particular 

 dermal skeleton. 



Locality: Station 78, 60' 37' Lat. N., 27=' 52' Long. W., depth 799 fathoms, a small fragment; 

 station 90, 64" 45' Lat. N., 29 06' Long. W., depth 568 fathoms, one specimen. On this latter station 

 the species was taken together with a great many other sponges, especially Tetractinellids. 



Besides the mentioned species we have further some fragments of /i?r«/rra-species, which it has 

 not been possible to determine: 



Reniera sp. a. 



PI. XI, Fig. 17. 



From Scoresbv Sound, from a depth between 10 and 60 fathoms, we have a little specimen, 

 which seems to have been lengthil>- pyriform; its length is 25'""'. The skeleton consists of unispicular 

 fibres. The spicules have a length of 0-20— 0-23""°, and oftenest a thickness of o-oio"'"'. Thus the species, 

 with regard to the skeleton and the spicules, recalls R. parenchyma, the spicules, however, being on 

 the whole a little smaller. 



With this species may perhaps be classed some more or less cylindrical, partly hollow fragments 



The Ingoll-Expedition. VI. i. ' 



