254 AKT. 7. — I. IJIMA : HEXACTINELLIDA, IV. 



Nearly all of the specimens I have seen bore on the basal 

 attachment samples of the bottom which consisted of a fine- 

 grained, tufaceous clay. 



I may begin the description of tlie general characters with 

 the two little individuals (S. C. M. No. 421) mentioned above 

 as havinir been obtained at Homba. Both are of about the size 

 of a pea and are torn off at the base. They are both ovoid in 

 shape and show a small round osculum. They possess some fine 

 prostat needles together with a few prostal pentactins and are 

 thus indistinguishable in outward appearance from the young of 

 R. caplllaim (PL XXIL, figs. 3, 4). 



The sj)ecies attains rather large dimensions. The individual 

 shown in PL XX., fig. 1, wliich is one of the largest I have 

 seen, measures 337 mm. in height and 6-8 mm. in thickness of 

 the w'all at most parts ; that of fig. 2, same plate, 366 mm. in 

 total height and 10 mm. in thickness of the wall in the inferior 

 half of the body. 



In general all the larger specimens are of a saccular, funnel- 

 like or vase-like shape, gradually contracted towards the knobby 

 base and more or less distinctly compressed in a lateral direction. 

 In the specimen of PL XX., fig. 1, which, so much of it as is 

 preserved, retains the natural shape in a perfect state, the osculum 

 at the upper end is roundish measuring approximately 82 mm. in 

 diameter ; but a third of the height lower down, the body is 

 sagittally 153 mm. and transversely 94 mm. broad; and still lower, 

 the greater breadth is 82 mm. and the lesser, only 30 mm. 



The species seems to be in a high degree prone to form 

 secondary oscula ; in fact all the large specimens I know of are 

 in possession of one or more such in addition to the primary or 

 main osculum. They may be represented by simple perforations 



