MAEINE SPONGES OF BEITISH COLUMBIA, ETC. 69 



rounding a fragment of Corallina officinalis, L. (Plate III, fig. 5). Height 72 mm., maxi- 

 mum breadth 4;') mm., with an average thickness of 17 mm. One large specimen and 

 five fragments. Colour when dry, light yellowish brown. Texture firm, slightly brittle. 

 Surface moderately rough O^cula circular openings Hush with the surface with an average 

 width of nearly 2 mm., irregularly disposed on both side of the sponge. Examined in the 

 dried state. 



Skeleton. — Composed of a rather irregular reticulation of spiculo-fibre, with no special 

 dermal arrangement. The fibres at right angles to the surface end abruptly without the 

 formation of brushes. (Plate V, fig. 4.) 



Spicules- — (a) Megasclera ; of one kind only, viz : slightly curved, sharply pointed, 

 smooth styli, varying in length from 0109 to 0163 mm. and in thickness from 0"013 to 

 0006 mm. (Plate V, figs. 4a, 4b). [b) Microsclera : of one kind only, viz: Small palmate 

 isochelse, abundant. Average length 0019 mm. (Plate V, figs. 4c., 4d). 



Locality. — West coast of Vancouver Island, north of Quatsiuo Sound, in thirty to fifty 

 fathoms. 



ESPERIOPSIS QUATSINOENSIS. (Sp. UOV.) 

 (Plate HI, figs. 8, 9 and Plato V, figs. 8, 8a, 8b, 8c). 



Sponge with a short stem, varying from irregularly subflabellate to subramose 

 (Plate III, figs. 8, 9). The six specimens representing this species in the collection show 

 variations in shape between these extreme forms. The height of the largest specimen 

 including the stem is 200 mm. and the length of the stem itself is about 25 mm. Colour 

 when dry varying from creamy or yellowish-white to light brownish-grey. Texture firm, 

 tough. Surface slightly rough to the touch. Oscnla ranging in size from 7 mm. to 1 

 mm. in diameter, arranged in a uniserial row. In the flabellate forms the oscnla occupy 

 the upper portion of the sponge and in the ramose forms they are frequently arranged 

 along one side of the subcylindrical branchlets, each of which terminates in a large 

 osculum. Examined in the dried state. 



Skeleton. — Consisting of bands of stout, distinct spiculo-fibre radiating outwards to 



the surface, joined together by less regularly disposed and less robust fibres ; the whole 



forming an irregular reticulation. The outwardly radiating fibres terminate in distinct 



brushes composed of stylote spicules of the same size as those of the main skeleton (Plate 



V, fig. 8). 



Spicules. — (a) Megasclera ; one kind. Stout, moderately curved smooth styli, rather 

 sharply pointed (Plate V, figs. 8a, 8b), varying in length from 216 to 0144 mm. in 

 different specimens, with an average breadth of 0013 mm. (b) Microsclera : small palmate 

 isocheke about 0026 mm. in length. These latter are scarce and have only been seen by 

 the writer in side view (Plate V, fig. 8c). 



Locality. — West coast of Vancouver Island, north of Quatsino Sound, in thirty to fifty 

 fathoms, five specimens. Near Lasqueti Island, Strait of Georgia, one specimen. 



