245 



spicules (which show clearly on the borders of the meshes). 

 Pores and oscules not discernible. 



Colour, slaty-gray, bleaching to brown. 



Skeleton formed of a dense axis of styles enveloped in 

 spongin, with conical tufts of styles projecting from the axis 

 at right angles and with the apices outwards. 



Spicules. — Style, 340-530x12-25, usually curved near base 

 or centre, or sometimes nearly straight, of the same thickness 

 from base to junction of middle and lower third, then 

 attenuating gradually to a sharp point. 



Locality A. — East London coast, 85 fms. 



There are two line specimens of this species, the largest being 

 50 cm. in height and 19 cm. in width, the stem being 6 cm. in 

 length and 2 cm. in diameter. 



The meshes are elongated, and average about 1.5X.5 cm.; 

 the strands diminish in diameter from stem to periphery, but 

 average about 2.5 mm. from side to side, and 3 mm. from 

 before backwards. 



There are two other clathrate species of Syringclla, viz. 

 S. clathrata, Ridley, and S. falcifera, Topsent ; but the differ- 

 ences in general character and spiculation are so great that it 

 is needless to specify them. 



Genus Axinyssa (Lendenfeld). 



Axinyssa tethyoides, sp. n. 



Plate v.. Fig. 12. Plate VI., Fig. 8a, b. 



Sponge sub-spherical ; surface covered with conical papillae 

 about 4 mm. high, and easily detachable. Pores and oscules 

 not visible ; texture loose and friable. 



Colour, in spirit, black outside, dark brown in the interior. 



Skeleton consisting of dendritically branched fibres from 

 500-1000 i" thick, which can be easily detached from the loose 

 flesh of the sponge, leaving tubular cavities ; also loose oxeas 

 scattered in the soft tissues. 



Spicules. — Oxeas, varying in size, up to 700 x 34 f, sharp- 

 pointed, slightly curved at the centre. 



Locality E. — Cone Pomt, Natal, 34 fms. ; bottom, broken 

 shells. 



The solitary specimen, which is sub-spherical, is about 6 cm. 

 in diameter. At the flattened base is a deep depression, where 

 apparentlv the sponge was attached. The new species calls to 

 mind Axinella tithidata, Bowerbank [3, p. 29, pi. viii.], which 

 is more or less spherical and has surface papillae ; but there 

 are no commensal worms in the new form, while the spicules 

 are oxea, and not, as in Bowerbank's species, styles. 



