84 AßT. 1. — I. IJIMA : HEXACTINELLIDA, III. 



regarded as an Asconematid evidently on account of its resemblance 

 in both general shape and spiculation to Caulophacus or Sympa- 

 gella. On the other hand, a relationship, about equally close, to 

 the Lanuginellin« under the Rossellidœ seems to be indicated by 

 the fact that Sijriipagella is in possession of the strobilopluinicome, 

 a peculiar form of rosette present in all the Lanuginelline genera. 

 An intermediate position between the Euplectellidse and the 

 Rossellidœ is therefore to be ascribed to the Caulophacidœ. 



I define the family as follows : 



Lyssacine Hexasterophora of cup-like or mushroom- 

 disc-like body; always stalked and firmly attached at 

 base; solitary or forming a small branched colony by 

 budding. Dermal skeleton composed of small hex- 

 actinic or pentactinic j^inular dermalia and of large 

 j^entactinic hy jiodermalia. Hexasters represented 

 mainly by discohexasters, either alone or in company 

 with s t r 1 J i 1 p 1 u m i c m e . 



The two genera composing the family are so joined to each 

 other bv an interchan2;e of their characters that a statement of 

 their differential points, which will hold good for all the cases of 

 species, can only be made in the most meager terms as follows : 



A. — With strobilopliimicome among the hexasters Sipupaydla O. ScHM. 



B. — "Without strobilophimicome among the hexasteis Cauloplmcus F. E. ScH. 



