REPORT ON THE MONAXONIDA. 203 



Suberites axiatus, Eidley and Dendy (PI. XLV. figs. 15, 15«, 156, 15c). 



1886. Suherites axiatus, Eidley and Dendy, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 5, vol. xviii. p. 485. 



Sponge irregular in shape, lobose or digitate. Unfortunately the species is repre- 

 sented in the collection only by a few fragments in very bad condition ; they are now of a 

 dull, reddish-yellow colour (like many other specimens from the same station), which 

 appears to have been caused by their having been packed in some iron vessel which has 

 rusted and discoloured tlie spirit. Texture soft and spongy, with a thick, dense axis up 

 the centre of the branches. Surface hispid. 



Skeleton. — There is a dense, stout, central axis of longitudinally placed spicules, which, 

 though closely packed, are not firmly united together, so that the axis is readily broken 

 across, leaving at each broken end a mass of projecting spicules which have been pulled 

 out from amongst their fellows. From this axis radiate bands of spiculo-fibre to the 

 surface of the sponge, where the spicules diverge and give rise to more or less of hispidity. 

 The radiating fibres do not usually come off at right angles from the axis \mi more or less 

 obliquely, so that when a branch is broken across the broken end has the form of a cone 

 on the one hand, and of a funnel, into which the cone fits, on the other. 



S2'>icules. — Megasclera; of one form only, viz., tylostyli (PI. XLV. figs. 15, 15o, \bh, 

 15c), with fairly well-developed, subglobular heads and fusiform shafts, tapering gradually 

 to a sharp point at the apex. Size very variable ; the larger spicules, in the interior of 

 the sponge, measure about 175 by 0"031 mm., but towards the outside of the sponge the 

 spicules become very much shorter and slenderer, commonly measuring about 07 bj- 

 0-0126 mm. 



The most remarkable point about this species is the very strongly developed axis ; 

 it will be seen to approach closely to Carter's sjiecies Suherites antarcticus, but difi'ers 

 in habit, in colour, and in the much greater size of the spicules. 



Zoca^.— Station 320, February 14, 1876 ; lat. 37° 17' S., long. 53° 52' W.; off the 

 mouth of the Rio de la Plata ; depth, 600 fathoms ; bottom, green sand ; bottom 

 temperature, 37°'2. Fragments. 



Suberites durissimus, Eidley and Dendy (PI. XLI. fig. 1 ; PI. XLV. figs. 2, 2a, 2b, 



2c, 2d, 2e). 



1886. Suherites durissimus, Ridley and Dendy, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 5, vol. xviii. 



p. 485. 



Sponge (PI. XLL fig. 1) pedunculate, form rather irregular. The single specimen 



in the collection consists of a basal, rhizome-like portion, from which arise two stalks, each 



bearing an expanded, oval or subglobular head ; in the case of the smaller one the 



peduncle is produced upwards beyond the expanded head, while the larger is broadly and 



evenly rounded at the top. The smaller stalk gives off, near its base, a flattened process 



