ACANTHASCUS CACTUS. 141 



The species was first described by F. E. Schulze from a 

 single small specimen which was obtained l)y Döderlein probably 

 from a shop in Enoshima. Some years later, as the fishermen 

 became aware of the demand by naturalists, specimens 1)egan to 

 be brought to us in such numbers that soon we had to decline 

 to purchase them unless unusually large in size or beautiful in 

 appearance. Evidently the species is one of the most abundant 

 and most widely distributed Hexactinellids of the Sagami Sea. 

 It is known to the fishermen along the coast under the name of 

 " Wata " (cotton) or " Wataboshi " (cotton-hood). Nearly half 

 a hundred specimens now lie before me, all obtained from depths 

 between 220 and 572 m. and from a bottom of volcanic origin 

 in the Sagami Sea. The more exact localities known to me are : 

 Yodomi, Mochiyama, Inside Okinose, Outside Okinose and Hondta. 

 I myself have collected several fragments at a spot about 2 kilo- 

 meters oft' the village of Senzu on the northern coast of Vrits 

 Island, from a depth of 220 fathoms and a l)ottom of a Ijlack 

 basalt-like rock. Mr. T. Tsuchida, «Assistant in the ^NJisaki 

 Marine Laboratory, obtained some fragments on the north of 

 Okinosé from a depth of 235 fathoms. In 1900, the U. S. Fish 

 Commission S. S. " Albatross " trawled up several fragments, 

 together with llhahdocahjptus mollis, at her Station 3697 (about 

 4 kilometers off the mouth of the Sakawa river in Sagami 

 Province; 265-120 faths.; black volcanic mud). While most 

 specimens grow on a tufaceous substratum, I have seen some 

 attached to the dead skeletons of other Hexactinellids [Hexavlindla 

 ventilahrum, Farrea occa). 



On the following page aj-e given sketches of a few selected 

 specimens in order to give an idea of the general appearance of 

 the sponge. The shape is in general like that of a Avide-mouthed 



