480 Messrs. S. 0. Ridley and A. Dendj on 



but rather woolly. Central skeleton-axis ill-defined, giving 

 oif radiating fibres terminating in dense brushes of spicules. 

 Skeleton-spicules smooth, slightly curved, rather abruptly 

 pointed acuates ; size '28 by "024 millim. 

 Locality, Port Jackson, 30-35 fath. 



Axinella halfourensis^ n. sp. 



Erect, stipitate, with spreading, branclied root and long, 

 cylindrical stem, surmounted by a large head of dichotomizing 

 finger-like, tapering branches. Height 14 inches. Yellowish 

 grey. Stem firm and compact, branches extremely soft and 

 spongy. Very slightly hispid. Skeleton loose, poorly deve- 

 loped. Spicules smooth, straight or slightly curved acuates, 

 gradually sharp-pointed, size "42 by '0075 millim., of the same 

 shape in both the dermal tufts and the main skeleton, but in 

 the former of about half the size. 



Locality. Kergueleu Island, 20-60 fath. 



Axinella mariana^ n. sp. 



Erect, delicately branched ; branches slender, somewhat 

 flattened. Height about 2 inches. Greyish yellow. Hirsute. 

 Texture soft and friable externally, internally tough. Skele- 

 ton, a central axis of irregularly-packed, short, bent acuates, 

 amongst which are imbedded the bases of very large stout 

 acuates, whose apices project far beyond the surface. Spi- 

 cules : — (1) smooth (rarely slightly spined) acuates or sub- 

 spinulates, sharply bent near the base, finely pointed, size 

 variable (e. g. '3 by '013 millim.) ; (2) smooth acuates, usually 

 slightly bent towards the base, finely pointed, size 2*2 by "03 

 millim. 



Locality. Off Marion Island, 50-75 fath. 



Axinella profunda, n. sp. 



Small, stipitate, branching dichotomously in one plane, 

 slightly flattened. Height about 2 inches. Yellowish grey. 

 Texture : axis tough and woody, with a soft spongy coat. 

 Surface hispid. Skeleton, a central axis of longitudinally dis- 

 posed large acuates, from which similar spicules radiate in 

 tracts or brushes, surrounded by bunches of smaller slender 

 acuates. Spicules acuate, straight, sharp-pointed, size from 

 'bb by '0084 to 2*0 to '037 millim., the bases, with few ex- 

 ceptions, very minutely spined. 



Localities. Station 241, North Pacific, 2300 fath. ; Station 

 281, South Pacific, 2385 fath. 



