OEGANISMS IN ACADIA. 149 



Size. — Length, 40 mm. ; width, about 5 mm. 



Horizon, and Locality. — Sandy shales of Div. lb, St. John group, at Belyea's Landing, 

 Westfield. 



ASTROCLADIA (?) ELEGANS, n. sp. (PI. VH, fig. 7.) 



Slender, cylindrical, curved, with central loculi, but no continuous cloaca. Only 

 small needle-like spicules observed. 



Size. — Length, 40 mm. or more; width, about 1| mm. 

 Horizon and Localily. — Same as preceding. 



AsTROCLADIA (?) VIRGTJLOIDES, Û. Sp. (PI. VH, figS. 8 a-C.) 



Small, slender, erect, rod-like, (branched?). Larger examples or parts with a hollow 

 core, the smaller pieces showing uo cavity. Apparently the body is composed of closely 

 aggregated spherules, which sometimes are found almost detached or loosely connected. 



Size. — Length, 10 mm. or more ; width, \-l mm. 



Horizon and Localily. — Fine, soft, olive-grey shales of Band h in Div. 1, St. John group 

 at Ratcliffs Stream and Hanford Brook, St. Martins. 



A very prevalent type of sponge is that in which the body was supported by a sili- 

 ceous skeleton only. Such are common in the shales of both the Basal series and St- John 

 group, chiefly in non-calcareous parts of these terreins. 



The organic matter of the sarcode in these sponges had given smooth su.rfaces to the 

 layers on which their skeletons have been spread, and where the mass of these sponges is 

 great, and the beds clayey, the spots where these sponges lie are black and glossy. At 

 this horizon, in the Cambrian, one type of these sponges is especially prevalent. 



DICHOPLECTELLA, n. gen. 



Spicules crossing at various angles. Some forking, others simply crossing, and 

 showing no evidence of being cemeuled or connected, otherwise than by the sarcode. 

 This genus appears to be related to Askonema and Lanugiuella, but differs in having 

 forked spicules. 



DICHOPLECTELLA IRREGULARIS, n. sp. (PI. VII, figs. 9 rt aud b) 



Spicular skeleton, fine, almost invisible to the naked eye. Spicules differing in size, 

 the forking spicules larger than the others. 



Size. — Length of crossbar spicules, 2 mm. Distance apart, 01 to 0"2 mm. 



Horizon and Localily. — Fine, olive grey shales of Divs. 1 and 2 of the Basal series, also 

 the fine shales of Div. 1 b of the St. John group. 



