482 



rtEVISIOX OF THE AXINELLID^, 1., 



Megascleres. — Contrary to what is the case in the other herein- 

 described species, 'f . fastigatns excepted, the megascleres are but 



very larely, and then only very slightly, 

 of larger size in the stalk than in the 

 branches. They are chiefly strongyla 

 and blunt-pointed oxea approximating 

 more or less in form to strongyla; quite 

 sharp-pointed oxea are comparatively 

 scarce. The strongyla are usually cylin- 

 drical or nearly so througljout their 

 whole length, the oxea to within a short 

 distance of their extremities. They 

 attain a maximum size of 300 by 8-5/x. 

 Individuals above 280 by 7/x are rare, 

 and these for the most part are slightly 

 fusiform oxea with more or less sharp- 

 pointed exti'emities. The shortest spicules 

 are less than 130//. in length, and almost 

 invariably strongyla. 



Microscleres. — The spirulse are usually 

 of less than 2 complete turns, rarely, if 

 ever, of as much as 2|; they are somewhat 

 slenderer than those of other species, their diameter very seldom 

 slightly exceeding l"5/i. Rod-shaped derivatives of the 

 spirulae, attaining a maximum size of about 17 by 1'7/Jt, are 

 very scarce. 



Microstrongyla are apparently absent. 



T. RETEPOROSUS, var. (aut varr. ?). 

 (PI. xxi., fig.3; PI. xxiii., figs.6-8; Pl.xxiv., figs.l, 2: PI. xxv., fig.l; 



PL xxviii., figs. 1-4; PI. xxix., fig.2.) 



The remaining specimens referable, or seemingly referable, to 



the present species (but distinguished in various respects from 



the above-described typical example) are eleven in number, — 



comprising ten of those recorded by Dendy(7) as T. Ictyispirulifer 



Text-fig. 8." 



* Trachycladuii reteporomis. 

 the branches. 



Megascleres: a, from the stalk; h, from 



