[LAMBE] SPONGES FROM COAST OF NORTHEASTERN CANADA 38 
surrounding a moderately wide gastral cavity. Of the two specimens in 
the collection the larger is 24 mm. high, 5 mm. broad near the base and 
1:5 mm. broad at the distal end beyond which the oscular fringe extends 
about 2°5 mm. 
Skeleton—The skeleton consists of gastral quadriradiates, gastral 
triradiates, subgastral triradiates, parenchymal triradiates, dermal tri- 
radiates, large oxea and linear spicules of the dermal surface and oxea of 
of oscular fringe. 
1. Gastral quadriradiates—Stout; facial rays curved slightly in- 
ward, rather sharply pointed, averaging about ‘294 mm. in length and 
‘018 mm. in diameter at midlength; apical ray comparatively short, 
about ‘183 mm. long and ‘013 mm. in diameter. 
2. Gastral triradiates—With rays somewhat shorter but of nearly 
the same stoutness as the facial rays of the quadriradiates; rays curved 
slightly inward, about ‘196 by ‘013 mm. in size. In fewer numbers than 
the quadriradiates. 
3. Subgastral triradiates—Sagittal; all the rays straight and of the 
same thickness; basal ray ‘222 mm. long and ‘016 mm. thick; lateral 
rays nearly at right angles to the basal ray and ‘131 mm. in length. 
They vary somewhat in size and are not abundant. 
4. Triradiates of the parenchyma.—Nearly regular or more or less 
sagittal, very variable in size, distributed irregularly in the thickness of 
the sponge; the largest form is slightly sagittal with rays of the same 
diameter; basal ray ‘290 mm. long and ‘014 mm. in diameter at mid- 
length; lateral rays about ‘275 mm. long. The smallest form has a basal 
ray ‘072 mm. long and lateral rays ‘039 mm. long. Between these 
extreme forms are intermediate sizes grading into each other. 
5. Dermal triradiates.—Of large size, in three or four layers parallel 
to the dermal surface; rays of nearly the same length and of about the 
same thickness, generally straight, sharply pointed and lying in the 
same plane, attaining a length of ‘288 mm, with a thickness at midlength 
of ‘019 mm. 
6. Large oxea.=-At right angles to the dermal surface, deeply em- 
bedded in the wall and projecting far beyond the surface ; sharply 
pointed, generally rather stouter at the distal than at the DE end, 
averaging in size 1:01 by ‘032 mm. 
7. Linear spicules.—Occurring singly or in bundles at the surface 
similarly to the large oxea; up to ‘491 mm. in length and ‘003 mm. thick. 
8. Oxea of the peristome.—Slender, between 2 and 3 mm. in length 
with a maximum thickness of ‘006 mm. 
R Sec. IV., 1900, 3. 
