114 LAWEENCE M. LAMBE ON 



the beach. At all events, I am confident that these sponges do not grow in depths as 

 little as twenty fathoms." Dr. Dall further says: " Most of my collections were made by 

 dredging from an ordinary ship's boat, in depths of one hundred fathoms and less, particu- 

 larly twenty fathoms or less, and stations wliere collecting was done are scattered along the 

 coast of Alaska south of Point Barrow and especially in the line of the Aleutian Islands and 

 eastward from them as far as Sitka. Specimens obtained by dredging were usually pre- 

 served in alcohol, especially in the case of sponges, bat a very large number of sponges were 

 picked up on the beaches at various places, and the bulk of the dry collection was obtained 

 in this way. So far as I can remember, specimens of nearly all the species found in this 

 manner are represented in the alcoholic collection but there were some of which no living 

 specimens were obtained. The temperature of the water was determined at the surface 

 and at the bottom at man}' of these places. In general it may be said for the wliole 

 Alaskan region, south of the Seal Islands, that there is little difference in the temperature 

 of the sea. That part of the territory north of the Seal Islands has a longer term of cold 

 weather than that south of them, but in other respects there is little difference." 



In addition to the sponges obtained by Dr. Dall a number, forming part of tlie U. S. 

 National Museum collection and included amongst those examined by the writer, were 

 collected in Alaskan waters by W. J. Fisher, E. W. Nelson, R. E. C. Stearns, J. G. Swan, 

 W. B. Anderson, G. Davidson, L. M. Turner, the U. S. Revenue Str. "Wyandotte," L. 

 Stejneger, Commander L. A. Beardslee, U. S. Navy, Lieut.-Commander H. S. Nichols, U. 

 S. Navy, N. Grebnitski, Lieut. Geo. M. Stoney, IT. S. Navy, the U. S. Revenue Str. 

 " Corwin," Captain M. A. Healy commanding, and Dr. T. H. Streets, U. S. Navy. 



A small but very interesting sponge was collected by Dr. Dall off the coast of California 

 and is referred to at length in this paper. 



It has been thought desirable to include in the following paper a description of one 

 apparently new sponge, and references to a few already described species from Comox and 

 Sooke, Vancouver Island, B. C, collected by Prof John Macoun of the Geological Survey 

 Department at Ottawa. 



The thanks of the writer are due to the Director of the United States National Museum 

 at Washington, D. C, for the opportunity afforded him of studying so large and excellent a 

 collection of recent marine sponges. 



The writer is also greatly indebted to Dr. Wm. II. Dall, for many suggestions and 

 notes relative to these collections, as well as to Prof Richard Rathbun, Dr. G. Brown 

 Goode and Mr. F. W. True of the United States National Museum for their courtesy and 

 hearty co-operation whilst the examination and study of the collection were in progress. 



MONAXONIDA. 



Halichondria panicea, Johnston. 



Halichondria panicea, Johnston. 1842. British Sponges, p. 114, pi. x. and pi. xi., fig. 5 and of European authors. 



" '• Whiteaves. 1874. Report on deep-sea dredging operations in the Gulf of St Lawrence, p. 9. 



" " Verrill. 1874. Am. -Jour. Sci. and Arts, vol. vii., p. 505- 



" " Lambe. 1892- Trans. Royal Soc. Canada, vol. x., p 69 ; 1893, vol. xi, p. 2.5. 



There are, in the collection, over one hundred and fifty specimens of this species, which 

 illustrate admirably its great variability in external form and mode of growth. 



The length of the largest spicules, in different specimens, ranges from 0-328 to 0-589 mm. 



