48 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL, MUSEUM vor.. 81 



The 2 to 4 terminal barbs of the much more numerous scopulae are 

 somewhat different from those of the type specimens. They are 

 rather weakly developed at the base, but gradually increase in 

 diameter at the middle and again decrease, being extremely attenu- 

 ated toward the sharpened spinous end. 



EURETE IRREGULARIS, new species 



Plate 3, Figuke 4 



At Station 5030, two small sponges (cotypes, U.S.N.M. No. 22040) 

 were taken. Owing to the fact that the microscleres had not been 

 totally lost, the specimens are fairly well preserved. One of the 

 bodies is an irregularly shaped tube 28 mm long with a greatest 

 transverse diameter of 16 mm. The wall is about 3 mm thick, 

 slightly thinning out above to an opening of the tube. The other 

 sponge is also tubular in form but variously divided. There is no 

 basal plate. In neither specimen is the upper end of the sponge 

 preserved, and it may be seen that the axis is not dichotomously 

 prolonged into branches, but remains single. Parts of the edge 

 of cup may be flared out or may simply project toward one another. 



Spiculation. — The dictyonal net forms a regular elongated quad- 

 rangular honeycomb. The beams composing it are quite smooth and 

 approximately of the same breadth {10[x to fO/t) throughout the en- 

 tire length. The rather slender processes, Avhich become gradually 

 attenuated toward the ends of the conically pointed beams, protrude 

 from the dictyonal net toward the dermal and gastral surfaces. 



The dermalia are pentactins, which are commonly supplied with a 

 bosslike rudiment of the distal sixth ray. The rays are rather strong, 

 220/i to 250/x in length (as measured from the center), especially 

 the proximal, unpaired ray, which is tAvice as long as the para- 

 tangentials, and 12/t in thickness at the base. Their surface is 

 beset throughout with obsolete microspiiies growing more prominent 

 toward the end and thinner toward the base of the rays and the 

 central node. They taper perceptibly from the base toward the coni- 

 cally pointed or rounded end. The paratangential cross is usually 

 much more convex on the inward surface, which is due to the curva- 

 ture of the rays themselves. 



The gastralia are also pentactins, resembling the dermalia. The 

 rays are similar to those of the dermalia, except that the paratan- 

 gentials are usually not so curved convexly, being nearly straight. 



Much more peculiar and worthy of interest are the onychasters 

 scattered abundantly in the parenchyme. Their shape and size differ 

 in different regions of the same individual. 



The onychasters themselves vary greatly in the length and the 

 number of rays. The normal onychaster usually measures TO/x to 80/^ 



