214 Mr. H. J. Carter on Deep-sea 



from some submarine object to which the sponge was thus at- 

 tached. Sessile. Colour grey. Dermal surface villous, even, 

 consisting of the ends of linear spicules that project in small 

 tufts a little beyond the sarcode, which thus holds them in po- 

 sition (fig. 13, b). Pores in the interstices between the tufts 

 (fig. 13, c). Vents scattered here and there irregularly. 

 Internal structure parenchymatous and fibrous, surrounded by 

 a spicular crust, which forms the villous surface (fig. 13, b), 

 charged with spicules, and permeated by the excretory canal- 

 systems, which respectively end in the vents mentioned. Pa- 

 renchyma hung on the fibrous structure, which is stout, stiff, 

 reticulate, anastomosing, and chiefly composed of the skeleton- 

 spicules, united together by a small portion of horny sarcode. 

 Spicules of two kinds, viz. skeleton- and flesh-spicules. Ske- 

 leton-spicule of one form only, viz. sub-pinlike, stout, smooth, 

 slightly curved, abruptly pointed, head less in diameter than 

 the shaft ; average largest size 43 by j-lSOOth inch in its 

 greatest diameters (PI. XV. fig. 36). Flesh-spicules of two 

 forms, viz. bihamate and equianchorate. Bihamate very large, 

 C-shaped, in which the central canal is visible (PI. XIII. fig. 15, a) , 

 more or less contorted and sigmoid ; average largest size 40 by 

 2^-6000ths inch in its greatest diameters (fig. 15). Equian- 

 chorate very long and narrow (fig. 14, a) ; anterior arm spatu- 

 loid, terminated at the fixed end by a short, elliptical tubercle, 

 and attached by an equally short falx to the shaft ; the free end, 

 en profile, curved forwards and inwards, claw-like (fig. 14, b) ; 

 lateral arms united to the shaft throughout by their falces re- 

 spectively, and so long as to leave nothing of the shaft visible 

 beyond a constricted portion in the centre (fig. 14, e), thus con- 

 trasting strongly with the half- grown individual (fig. 14, c) ; 

 average largest size 24 by 3-6000ths inch in its greatest dia- 

 meters ; distance of the free end of the anterior arm from the 

 shaft, when viewed laterally, greater than its width. Size of 

 entire specimen 2^ inches high by 1\ X 1. 



Hob. Deep sea. 



Loc. Atlantic Ocean, between the north coast of Scotland 

 and the Faroe Islands. 



Obs. The No. on this jar is "51," whose "station" (for 

 that is what the No. refers to in the " Reports ") would give a 

 depth of 440 fathoms. It is in company with Hymedesmia 

 Johnsoni, Bowerbank (B. S. vol. i. p. 276), and Axinella mas- 

 tophora, Schmidt. The specimen is very much injured ; but 

 enough of it remains to enable me to give the above description 

 and figure in the plate. It is remarkable for the large size of 

 the bihamate (fig. 15) and this particular weaver's-shuttle-like 

 or navicular form of anchorate, which is by far the largest I have 



