266 r. TJiMA : hexactinellida. i. 



1896 and 1900, opportunities for the study of that specimen were 

 given me tlirough the courtesy of my friend, Dr. L. Stejneger, 

 on the first occasion, and of Captain J. F. Moser on the second. 

 The only information I coukl obtain about it was the statement 

 on the label : ' A'^enus ' Basket, a siliceous sponge from 1800 

 fathoms. Station : Off coast of Chile.' 



A good description of an authentic and well-preserved R. 

 2^hœnix is still a desideratum. In fact only imperfect fragments 

 of the species have as yet been studied with any care ; hence, 

 the somewhat unsatisfactory state of our knowledge. In my at- 

 tempts to identify the ' Albatross ' specimen, I found that it 

 presented in its structure several points which seemed to be of 

 importance as specific characters, but which were either uncer- 

 tainly or not at all known from B. phœnix, or are perhaps quite 

 wanting in that species. It is therefore with some degree of 

 reserve that I refer the * Albatross ' specimen to B. phœnix. 



General Characters. 



The specimen (PI. XI, figs, 1, 2) is of a tubular form, 

 torn off at the lower end. Length about 240 mm., representing, 

 I should judge, nearly three- fourths of the original entire size. 

 Diameter at the middle about 75 mm.; that at the lower end 

 a])Out ~)0 mm. (It has previously been known that the species 

 may attain a height of 500 mm.). 



The wall is thin, not more than .'3 mm. thick in the thickest 

 part. It l)euds and falls in of itself Avhen taken out of the 

 spirit in which it h preserved. 



The upper end is rounded, the lateral wall closing in slightly 



