Catalogue of Non-Calcarcons Sponges. 49 



spicules, and more or less abundantly echinated by short spined 

 styii. The large, smooth styli or tylostyli occur most abundantly 

 in the strongly-developed surface projections, accompanied by 

 much spongin. There are no surface tufts of spicules, but the 

 dermal membrane is glabrous and has a beautiful reticulate 

 appearance between the projections. 



R.N. 346 (20 f ; "dark grey-brown"); 399; 425 (x, 19 f: 

 "clove brown, with a slight green tinge); 1157 (x) ; 1174. 



B.M. sp. 70 {'■'■ Dictyocylindrihs cncticutis, C. type," Reg. 86-12- 

 15-120). 



Genus Fusifer, n. gen. 



Sponge massive, with fistular projections. The only known 

 species has an intensely sandy body, covered by a thin dermal 

 membrane. Megascleres monactinal, smooth and spined styli or 

 tylostyli. Characteristic microscleres microxea, to which others 

 may be added. 



This is a very remarkable genus indeed, strongly characterised 

 by its external form and by the beautiful spindle-shaped micros- 

 cleres (microxea). The external form and the character of the 

 dermal membrane approach those of Histodermu, but the well- 

 developed and abundant spined echinating styli show it to be an 

 undoubted Ectyonine. 



Fusifer fistulatus, n. sp. 



Sponge consisting of a massive, irregular, intensely and 

 coarsely sandy body ; invested in a thin, delicate membrane 

 rising up above into rather short, hollow, thin-walled processes, 

 some widely open and some closed. Body sand-coloured, 

 projections pale yellow in spirit. 



Skeleton, the main skeleton of the body is a dense agglomera- 

 tion of sand grains with spicules in the interstices. The sand 

 may be arranged in stout, flattened columns, running vertically 

 upwards and appearing on the surface in the form of meandering 

 sandy tracts. Many of the sand grains are abundantly echinated 

 by spined styli. The other spicules are scattered irregularly 

 between them, but the tylostyles may be partly collected into 

 stout fibres running towards the surface. The dermal skeleton 

 is a very irregular reticulation, either of single spicules (tylostyli) 



K 



