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



structure ; permeated by the excretory canal-system, and pre- 

 senting a distinct spiral arrangement of the spicules. Spicules 

 of two kinds, viz. skeleton- and flesh-spicules. Skeleton- 

 spicule of one form only, viz. smooth, long, linear, slightly 

 curved, fusiform, acuate or sub-pinlike, fine-pointed ; average 

 largest size 110 by 2-1800ths inch in its greatest diameters 

 (PI. XV. fig. 38) ; head narrower than the shaft. Flesh- 

 spicules of two forms, viz. equianchorate and bihamate : — 

 1st. Equianchorate (PI. XIV. fig. 20) : shaft curved, expanded 

 or alate at each end (fig. 20, a e), which end is circular (fig. 

 20, c e), and from which rises the falx (fig. 20, f), supporting 

 an umbrella-shaped head of seven arms or claws, of which 

 the falx supplies the eighth (fig. 20, d), webbed together 

 for half their length, and recurved obliquely towards the 

 centre of the shaft ; average largest size 16 by 5-6000ths 

 inch in its greatest diameters, viz. in its total length and 

 breadth of head respectively. 2nd. Bihamate : C-shaped, 

 smooth, more or less contort and sigmoid, rather small ; 

 average largest size 6 by |-6000th inch in its greatest dia- 

 meters (fig. 21). Size of entire specimen about 3-12ths inch 

 in diameter at the base, gradually diminishing upwards 

 to a height of 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 centimetres, Wyv. 

 Thomson, ' Depths of the Sea '). Transverse processes about 

 an inch long, and about 2-12ths inch in diameter at the base. 



Hab. Deep sea. 



hoc. Atlantic Ocean, between the north coast of Scotland 

 and the Faroe Islands. 



Obs. Although there is no number on the jar containing this 

 sponge, the allusion to it in the Report of the ' Porcupine ' Ex- 

 pedition for 1869 (Proceed. Roy. Soc. vol. xviii. no. 121, p. 443) 

 shows, by the station ( u 52 ") therein mentioned, that it was 

 dredged up here (between the north coast of Scotland and the 

 Faroe Islands) in 384 fathoms. Dr. Wyville Thomson has 

 inserted an excellent figure of it in his i Depths of the Sea,' 

 p. 188, to which I must refer the reader for an illustration of 

 its general form ; but the detail having been left for me to sup- 

 ply, it alone, with illustrations, is herewith given. There were 

 four sponges dredged up on board the ' Porcupine ' possessing 

 allied forms of this anchorate, viz. : — that above described ; that 

 figured and described by Sars as Cladorhiza abyssicola ( c Re- 

 markable Forms of Animal Life from the Great Depths of the 

 Norwegian Coast ' (Eng.). Published by G. O. Sars. Chris- 

 tiania, 1872, p. 65, pi. vi. figs. 16-34) ; and another, which I 

 shall hereafter describe and illustrate under the name of Hali- 

 chondria abyssi, as far as the two very small fragments that 

 have been preserved of it will permit. 



