No. XII. SPONGIDA. 293 



No. XII. 



SPONGIDA.* 

 By H. J. Carter, F.R.S., etc. 



The collection of Sponges brought from Smith Sound by 

 the Arctic Expedition of 1875-6 consists of five species, one of 

 which, viz. the following, has hitherto not been described. 



No. 1. Semisuberites arctica, n. sp.- 



General form funnel-shaped, hollow, with a long round 

 stem, diminishing in size to the point of attachment ; mouth 

 subcircular, margin thick, round, undulating. Colour light 

 grey. Surface reticulate, even. Pores external, micro- 

 scopic ; vents internal, large, plentifully and uniformly 

 scattered over the inner surface of the funnel. Internal 

 structure loose, light, composed of acuate spicules united 

 together by sarcode into bundles which, crossing each other, 

 produce the usual areolated tissue of sponge. Spicules of 

 one kind only, viz. skeleton, but of two forms, viz. — 1, acuate, 

 slightly curved towards the large end, smooth, and gradually 

 diminishing towards the smaller one, which is rather abruptly 

 pointed; average largest size -^gth by y^-gth inch in its 

 greatest diameters : 2, the same, but with a slight subterminal 

 inflation. Size of largest specimen about 3 inches long by 

 1 1 inch across the brim of the funnel. 



Hob. Marine, Arctic regions. Growing singly or in 

 plurality on hard objects. 



Log. Smith Sound, Cape Napoleon, in 50 fathoms. 



Obs. There is much interest attaching to this sponge in 

 1 Abridged from 'Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist.' 1877, pp. 38-42. 



