154 Proceedings of tlie Royal Society of Victoria. 



The specimen is preserved as a series of ferruginous grooves in 

 a pale grey decomposed slate, together with linionite pseudo- 

 morphs after pyrite in small cubes which are scattered in 

 patches throughout the mass. Owing to the method of pre- 

 servation it is not certain whether the slightly thicker spicules, 

 which I regard as anchoring ones, do not owe their size and 

 form to the spreading of the iron oxide along the . cleavage 

 planes, though I am inclined to the opinion that they were 

 originally larger and stouter than those occurring elsewhere 

 on the slab. If so, then they may be considered as anchoring 

 spicules, in which case the vertical axis is at right angles to 

 that in Siephanella hindii, Dawson,^ from the Utica slate at 

 Ottawa. In this species, Sir J. W. Dawson figures some small 

 cruciform spicules on the outer surface, which he considers to 

 be flesh spicules of this species. I have not been able to detect 

 any such forms in the present specimen as no fine details are 

 l^reserved, the oxidation of the pyrites having destroyed all 

 traces of the more delicate parts of the skeleton. 



Sir Frederick M'Coy, to whom I have shown the specimen, 

 has directed my attention to the spicule shown in Fig. 5, and 

 is of opinion that possibly it indicates the presence of V or Y 

 shaped spicules, though of course, owing to weatliering, it is 

 impossible to speak with certainity on the point. There are othei- 

 places where similar appearances are exhibited, but I think that 

 oxea which evidently cross one another can be found lying 

 approximately parallel to each of the arms of the V, and this 

 being so I am inclined to regard the apparent forking as due 

 merely to the accidental juxtaposition of two oxea. Should 

 i'orked spicules of this nature occur the sponge cannot of 

 course be monactinellid, but would probably be referable to 

 the Tetractinellidae. After careful consideration I am inclined 

 to the opinion that the sponge finds its true position amongst 

 the Monactinellidte, and I refer it doubtfully to Stephanella, 

 Hinde.- From S. hifidii it differs in shape, for in Sir J. W. 

 l)awson's species the greatest length is horizontal while in the 

 present one it is vertical. The determination of the base of 

 the speciuien depends in part on the recognition of the 



1 Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada, 2. S., vol. ii., 1S9(), sec. 4, p. IIC. 



2 Geol. Mag., 1891, p. 22. 



