Section IV., 1896. [ 181 ] Trans. R. S. C 



XI r. — S'pomjes from the Atlantic Coast of Canada. 



\W Lawrence M. Lambe, F.G-.S., F.G.S.A., op the G-eological Slirvey. 



(Presented by J. F. Wliiteaves and read May 20, 1896). 



The following paper is an attempt to make as complete a catalogue 

 as possible of the marine sponges of the Atlantic coast of Canada and of 

 the Eiver and Gulf of St. Jjawrence. Avith descriptions of such as appear 

 to be new. 



With few exceptions, the specimens referred to were collected either 

 b}^ Sir William Dawson or Mr. J. F. Whiteaves. 



The sponges collected by Sir William Dawson were obtained at 

 various dates since the year 1845. Between the years 1845 and 1855 he 

 collected specimens off Sable Island and the coast of Nova Scotia, and 

 between the years 1855 and 1889, in the River and Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 from Murray Bay to Gaspé Bay. The greater part of his collection, 

 however, was obtained between the years 18o0 and 1880, when he 

 dredged at depths varying from 15 to 20 fathoms. 



Mr. Whiteaves spent the summers of 1867 and 1869 in dredging in 

 Gaspé Bay and its immediate vicinity in depths of from about 10 to 50 

 fathoms. With facilities afforded by the Dominion Government, he was, 

 in 1871, 1872 and 1873, enabled to dredge in the greatest depths to be 

 found in the Gulfy between Anticosti and the Bird Rocks and between 

 Anticosti and the Gaspé peninsula ; he obtained, along with other deep- 

 sea forms of life, many highly interesting sponges. Mr. Whiteaves is 

 the only person who has dredged in the greatest depths of this region, 

 the maximum depth being 313 fathoms. Accounts of the results of his 

 expeditions of the years 1871, 1872 and 1873 were embodied in the 

 official reports for those ;years, published by the Department of Marine 

 and Fisheries. In the last of these, Mr. Whiteaves gives a list of thirteen 

 species of sponges, and, subsequently, in the American Journal of 

 Science and Arts, vol. vii., March, 1874, a detailed description of a 

 tetractinellid sponge,' obtained, between Anticosti and the Gaspé penin- 

 sula, during the summer of 1873. 



Supplementary to the list of recent marine sponges referred to in 

 this paper, is a short note on a tetractinellid sponge, Craniella X/or/ani, 

 Dawson, from the Leda Gla}' of Montreal and Ottawa, and a description 

 of some spicules of hexactinellid sponges, also from the Leda Clay at 

 Montreal. 



1 Thenea muricata, Bovverbank (see page 204>. 

 Sec. IV., 1896. 11. 



