BY E. F. HALLMANX. 485 



maximum diameter of 12 mm. at a distance of aliout 50 mm. 

 from its apex, and thence gradually tajiering to a point, the 

 smaller one 8 nmi. in greatest stoutness and distally untapered. 

 The other specimen, H.N. 984, consists only of a broken-ofi' pair 

 of fused branches somewhat similar to those just described. 



R.N. 426 is in one respect unique : the surface is finely hispid, 

 being rendered so by the extremities of the radial skeletal fibres, 

 which everywhere project J to 1 mm. beyond it, presenting the 

 appearance of delicate hairs. Furthermore, although the speci- 

 men appears to be excellently preserved, the dermal pores have 

 entirely disappeared, and even the oscula are completely closed. 

 Since the skeletal fibres are altogether too slender and weak to 

 be considered capable of withstanding the bending strain which 

 a shrinkage of the sponge due to the action of the preservative 

 fluid would exert, the peculiar condition of the specimen must 

 almost certainly be the result of contraction while in the living 

 condition. In general outward habit, as is evident from the 

 figure (PI. xxiv., fig. 2), this specimen rather resembles the typical 

 specimen. Scarce strongyla are present, similar to those of 

 R.N. 1061. 



The two specimens R.N. 470 consist each of only a few de- 

 tached brandies, which, apart from being non-hispid, are exactly 

 similar in every way to those of the preceding specimen. In 

 one of these specimens, no microstrongyla were observed; in the 

 other (and in this alone of all the specimens) they are fairly 

 abundant, resembling in form and size those of 1».N. 1061. (A 

 photograph of the macerated skeleton is shown in PI. xxiii., fig. 7). 



In R.N. 297 and 366, — both of which are in a dried, much 

 shrunken condition, and consequently afford no information 

 regarding the pores, — the spirula3 are distinguished by being 

 mostly of less than one complete turn and hence more or less 

 Q-shaped; straight rods of all lengths from 3 to upwards of 15/x 

 are also common, especially the shorter ones. R.N. 366 consists 

 of a main stem or branch, about 200 mm. in length, attached by 

 its base (which spreads to form a thin incrusting disc about 

 4 mm. in area) to the surface of a shell, and sending oft' on one 

 side, at the distances of 50, 60, and bO mm. respectively from its 



