186 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



"Desmacella Peachii var. Grœnlandica, Fristedt. 



(Plate T., figs. 5, ba-e.) 



Desmacella Peachii, Bowerbank. (O.S.) var. Grœnlandica, Fristedt. 1887. Sponges 

 from tlie Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and the Behring Sea 

 (translation), Vega-expeditionens vetenskapliga arbeten, 

 p. 441, pi. 24, figs. ;«-4ô and pi. 28, fig. 14. 



A specimen of this species was dredged between Anticosti and the 

 Gaspé peninsula ; it is 26 mm. long, 19 mm. broad and about 12 mm. 

 thick, and has its dermal membrane, which is thin and very fragile when 

 dry, well preserved. A few circular oscular openings, about 075 7nm. 

 in average diameter, are seen at rather distant intervals on the surface. 

 An examination of the dermal membrane revealed no poi'es. 



The spicules of the St. Lawrence sponge are as follows : Megasclera. — 

 Large, stout, gradually and sharply pointed, smooth styli, thickest at 

 the base and frequently considerably bent towards the basal end, measur- 

 ing from 0-807 to 1-37 mm. in length and from 0"017 to 0027 mm. in 

 thickness (Plate I., fig. 5a). Microsclera. — (1) Sigmata of two sizes 

 (a) very large, stout sigmata, varying in length IVom 0058 to 0103 mm. 

 and in thickness, at the centre of the curve, from 0"013 to OOOG mm. 

 (Plate I., figs. 56, 5c) and (J)) much smaller, more slender, sigmata from 

 O'Oin to 0032 mm. long, with an average thickness of 0001 mm. (Plate 

 I., fig. hd) ; no contort sigmata of either size were seen. (2) Long, 

 very slender rhaphides, arranged in loose bundles ; average size 0275 by 

 001 mm. (Plate I., fig. 5^;). 



The dermal membrane, besides containing bundles of raphides, in 

 great abuiidance, arranged in a loose, reticulating manner, also holds 

 sigmata in large numbers, es])ecially the smaller form, and comparatively 

 few styli. The sigmata and raphides also occur in the main skeleton. 



Locality. — Between Anticosti and the Gaspé peninsula, in 200 

 fathoms, one specimen, dry, J. F. Whiteaves, 1873. Fristedt's specimen 

 from the east coast of Greenland was dredged in 130 fathoms. 



EsPERELLA J>IN(;UA, Bowcrbank. 



(Plate T., figs. 6, Ga—f.) 



Ilt/meniacidon linffua, Bowerbank. 18(i(). Mon. Brit. Spong., vol. il., p. 187. 

 linphiodefima linyua, Bowerbank. 1874. Mon. Brit. Spong., vol. iii., p. 237, pi. 



ixxvii., figs. 1-G. 

 Esperia linf/ua, Vosmaer. 188.5. The Sponges of the "Willem Barents" Expedi- 

 tion, 18H() and 18,Sl, p. :3(). pi. i., fig. 17, pi. iv., figs. 21, 22 and pi. 

 v., figs. 73-77. 

 " Fri.stedt. 1H87. Sponges from the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and 

 the Behring Sea (translation), Vega-expeditionens vetenskap- 

 liga arbeten, p. 449. 



There are a few large s])onges, massive in f(U'm and lobate, from the 



Gulf of St. Lawrence, which are clearly identical with Jiowerbank's 



