On Deep-sea Sponges from the Atlantic Ocean. 207 



Genus Spirorbis, Daud. 

 Spirorbis borealis, Daud. ; Mgrn. op. cit. p. 122. 

 Abundant on seaweeds and stones between tide-marks. 



Spirorbis lucidus, Mont. ; Mgrn. op. cit. p. 123. 

 Common on zoophytes from deep water. 



[To be continued.] 



XXIX. — Descriptions and Figures of Deep-sea Sponges and 

 their Spicules from the Atlantic Ocean, dredged up on 

 board H.M.S. i Porcupine J chiefly in 1869/ with Figures 

 and Descriptions of some remarkable Spicules from the 

 Agulhas Shoal and Colon, Panama. By H. J. Carter, 

 F.B.S. &c. 



[Plates XHL, XIV., & XV.] 



I now propose to describe and illustrate for publication a few 

 more of the deep-sea sponges dredged up on board H.M.S. 

 ' Porcupine/ from the bed of the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast 

 of Ireland, or between the north of Scotland and the Faroe 

 Islands — every fragment of which that came into my hands was 

 immediately sketched and preliminarily recorded in my MS. 

 journal, with all the information as regards " soundings &c." 

 that accompanied them, in order that I might possess the 

 means of referring to any particular specimen directly, and, 

 in case of accident, thus endeavour to provide against total 

 loss. 



The greater part of these specimens represent sponges which 

 have already been described ; and the rest will be considerably 

 reduced by those which I am now about to add. Among 

 the latter, however, will be found such extraordinary forms of 

 the flesh-spicule that, unless I first describe a well-known one 

 for reference, they will probably not be understood. 



As regards nomenclature, it is not desirable to give new 

 names if we wish to speed knowledge ; and hence it is better, 

 if possible, to retain an old one, although inappropriate, rather 

 than oppress the mind at the outset by introducing that to 

 which it is unaccustomed. Much that is valuable is never read 

 because it is accompanied by new names. 



Again, if we can find familiar types in our British sponges 

 for reference, when engaged in the study of foreign species, it 

 is better to adopt these than to refer to specimens which are less 

 accessible. 



