52 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.81 



projects about 1 mm beyond the surface. Endosome, a fleshy basis 

 permeated by radially arranged fascicular columns of spicules, the 

 entire column being approximately 200/1, in diameter. 



The spicules are chiefly tylostyles, of all sizes up to 7ju, in diameter 

 by 2,000/x or more in length. Some are merely styles, and in others 

 the globular swelling is not quite at the head of the spicule. These 

 tylote swellings may be multiple, two or more to the spicule. 



Remarks. — The present species is remarkable for the very short, 

 large fistules. Within the genus Polymastia they are much 

 longer and thinner as a rule than in fachymastia^ and they often 

 have an oscule at the distal extremity. It is probable that these pro- 

 jections are in all cases to be regarded as sieves protecting the ex- 

 halent apertures from invaders. In the walls of the fistules the 

 tracts crisscross to make gratings, in some cases in very regular 

 patterns. P. fachyTnastia is also marked off from most members 

 of the genus by the very great length of its spicules and by the 

 relative scarcity in its ectosome of shorter tylostyles. 



Family SUBERITIDAE Gray 

 Genus FICULINA J. E. Gray 



FICULINA SUBEREA (Johnston) LATA (Lambe) 



Suberites latus Lambe, 1892, p. 71. 

 Suberites suberea, Lambe, 1894, p. 126. 



Holotype. — In the Museum of the Geological Survey, Ottawa, Can- 

 ada. 



Type locality. — The west coast of Canada. 



Material examined. — One specimen (U.S.N.M. No. 21443; B.M. 

 No. 29.8.22.51) was found in the wrack at Asilomar, near Pacific 

 Grove, Calif., July, 1925 ; another was dredged by the University of 

 Southern California, September 24, 1924, from 36 meters, south of 

 the breakwater at San Pedro (U.S.N.M. No. 21396). 



Description. — Shape, massive, subhemispherical. Size, 3 cm in 

 diameter. Consistency, firm, slightly compressible. Color in life, 

 bright orange; preserved, pale drab. Oscules, not evident. Pores, 

 not evident. Surface, superficially smooth. 



Ectosomal specialization : Smaller spicules that are otherwise 

 like the endosomal ones are packed together — points outward and in 

 a (curved) plane, heads not so even because of variations in spicule 

 length. Endosomal structure, fleshy, with spicules in confusion. 

 There is a high ratio of solid matter as compared to cavity. 



Principal spicules, tylostyles (fig. 25) , size, 5/x by TOju, to 12/a by 590/a. 



Remarks. — The nearest relative of this form seems to be the type 

 variety, which is British and which differs in having spicules that 



