SCYPHIDIUM LONGISPINA. ZO 



young individuals is 15 mm. long ; it already shows a small 

 oscular opening in its outer end. The other is much smaller, 

 measuring only mm. in length ; the osculum is still unopen. 

 Both possess thin and short prostal needles of their own. — Besides 

 the young, a number of Foraminifera, some of which are about 

 as large as a pin-head, are borne on the prostal needles of the 

 old specimen. 



The dermal skeleton is in close contact with the choanosome. 

 The extremely delicate lacework formed by the dermalia exhibits 

 meshes, more or less regularly quadrate, which are so small as to 

 be scarcely discernible with the naked eye. The hypodermal 

 latticework is formed of thin strands which intersect one another 

 at various angles and thus produce irregularly shaped and rather 

 small meshes. The laro-er incurrent canals visible throuo;h the 

 dermal layer may be 2 mm. wide. 



The simple gastral cavity is lined throughout w^ith a smooth 

 and continuous gastral layer. Under the lens this appears meshed 

 like the dermal layer. Some apertures of excurrent canals situat- 

 ed right under it may be as wide as 3 mm. 



The second smaller specimen (Mus. No. 507) from Inside 

 Okinose, is of an oblong ovoid shape. The lower end is likewise 

 torn off. Length, .37 mm.; greatest breadth 18 mm.; osculum, 8 

 mm. by 9 mm. The lower half of the sponge presents a smooth 

 undulating surface. The upper half bears a number of long and 

 strong prostal needles ; in this part the surfoce is much lacerated, 

 to which fact may be due the fact that conical elevations are 

 not observable in this specimen. On the prostals again are 

 attached some Foraminifera, but no buds or young. The spicula- 

 tion essentially agrees with that of the type-specimen. 



