275 



SyuopsaucepsD. sp. 



The shape of Synops anceps is rather irregular, sbowing some 

 cyliiidrical or couical prologations of various size. On the top of 

 these there is a little depressiou where the procts are lying to- 

 gether. The uuniber of procts varies according to the diameter 

 of the depressiou. The surface is even and smooth. The size is from 

 5X4 to 8X5 cm. in diameter. The diameter of the proct 

 areas varies from 0.4 to 1.7 cm. The colour is pale browuish 

 with irregular darker spots; the depressions generally sepia-brown 

 with a pale wall around the procts. 



A vertical section through the living animal across a depres- 

 siou , shows us a yellowish pareuchyme and a whiter cortex. 

 Some main excurrent canals are visible , ending into a proct. The 

 pareuchyme is rather compact and of the smaller canals little is 

 to be seeu. The stomas are dispersed over the sponge surface at 

 rather regular distances from oue another. 



The stomas lead into narrow chones; the ectochone is long, 

 the endochone very small or hardly developed. The subcortical 

 crypts are very large and form a system of communicating la- 

 cunae , strengthened by pillars of pareuchyme and spicules. From 

 the crypts narrow canals start, which communicate with wide 

 cavities, from which again narrow canals start of various size. 

 The flagellated chambers are small , not very numerous. The pros- 

 odi are somewhat narrower than the aphodi. As stated before 

 the main excurrent canals terminate into procts. The excurrent 

 chones are a good deal wider than the iucurrent ones and the 

 sphincters developed accordingly. 



The skeleton is not very strong. The parenchyraalia are com- 

 paratively few in uumber, arranged radially and cousisting of 

 oxeas and triaenes. This radial arrangement is often rather incon- 

 spicuous in forms which have au irregular shape, but a trans- 

 verse section of a cylindrical processus, shows us an unmistakable 

 radial structure. lu the centrum of the sponge we find chiefly 

 oxeas; towards the periphery orthotriaenes and dichotriaenes 



