394 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



chelas in the Strongylophora species, but could find none. In look- 

 ing for the chelas, however, the toxa-like oxeas (see -previously) were 

 noticed, and search showed that there were a good many of them in 

 the sponge. Thus a second point of resemblance, of the kind that 

 might be expected to occur in a related species, exists. Resemblances 

 are scattered however, for in Phloeodictyon fistulosum, there is a 

 feature which constitutes a point of resemblance between the Phloeo- 

 dictyinae and Strongylophora. In Phloeodictyon fistulosum namely, 

 as noted by Topsent (1904, p. 236), the dermal skeleton in- 

 cludes not only oxeas like those of the main skeleton (300-330 by 

 10-12 pi), but much smaller forms also (80-100 by 3-5 [x). Ridley 

 (1884, p. 420) also refers to this fact. 



Subfamily Renierinae. 



Renierinae Ridley and Dendy, 1887. 



Megascleres, oxeas, or strongyles varying occasionally to styles. 

 Skeleton reticulate, or the spicules may be scattered without definite 

 arrangement. Spongin absent or present in small amount; only ex- 

 ceptionally does it envelop the spicules. No microscleres. 



The group (Renierinae part, O. Schmidt 1870) is taken in the 

 sense of Ridley and Dendy (1887) and Dendy (1905). Lundbeck, 

 1902, Kirkpatrick. 1902, Thiele, 1903, and Topsent, 1904, include 

 Phloeodictyon, assignable to the Phloedictyinae. 



Genus HALICHONDRIA Fleming (1828). 



Halichondria Fleming, 1828, p. 520. — Vosmaer, 1887, p. 336. — Ridley and 

 Dendy, 1887, p. 1.— Lundbeck, 1902, p. 16. 



Renierinae in which the spicules are irregularly scattered, not 

 forming a permanently fixed reticulum, sometimes aggregated to 

 form tracts ; with very little or no spongin. Spicules : oxeas, rarely 

 strongyles. 



The place of this genus in the classification has commonly been 

 looked on as an assured one. But Topsent has in recent years (1911) 

 pointed out that the ciliated larva differs from that of the Renierinae 

 and proposes a new classification in which Halichondria and Reniera. 

 are widely separated. 



HALICHONDRIA PANICEA Johnston. 



Halichondria panicea Johnston, 1842, p. 114. — Ridley and Dendy, 



1887, p. 2. 



To this species two specimens from station D5218 are referable. 



One is an amorphous mass CO mm. in diameter with oscula that are 



not raised or only slightly raised above the surface. The other is 



elongated horizontally, branched at one end, 80 by 30 mm., with 



