482 Messrs. S. O. Ridley and A. Dendy on 



AxinelJa ? tubulosa, n. sp. 



Erect, tubular ; tubes open widely above or closed finger- 

 like. Heiglit 2 inches. Greyish yellow. Fairly firm. Skeleton 

 very confused, no distinct fibre. Spicules smooth acuates : — 

 (1) stout, fusiform, more or less bent, fairly gradually sharp- 

 pointed, size '87 by "03 millim. ; (2) similar, but much smaller, 

 size '45 by "009 millim. ; the latter especially in loose brushes 

 near the surface. 



Locality. Station 320, off the Rio de la Plata, 600 fath. 



Axinellal 'paradoxa^ n. sp. 



Sessile. Massively lobate. Diameter 1 inch. Greyish 

 yellow. Texture indiarubber-like, internally fibrous. Sur- 

 face glabrous, but conulose. Oscules grouped on tops of 

 lobes. Skeleton of large smooth acerates, size '87 by "022 

 millim., forming very stout but very loose AxineUa-XA'i& fibre. 



Locality. Inaccessible Island, South Atlantic, 90 fath. 



Genus RaspailiA (Nardo) . 



Long, slender. A central axis of spiculo-fibre, containing 

 much spongin, always present, from which loose tufts of 

 spicules radiate to the surface. Skeleton-spicules chiefly 

 acuate or subspinulate ; spined echinating acuates sometimes 

 present. 



Raspailia tenuis^ n. sp. 



A very long, slender, flexible stem, giving oflf branches of 

 the same nature as itself, and produced into a long unbranched 

 terminal portion ; no secondary branches. Diameter ^-^ to j\ 

 inch. Greyish yellow ; tough, stringy, externally friable. 

 Surface minutely conulose, hispid. Spicules : — (1) smooth, 

 slender acuates, almost straight, size up to 1*75 by '018 

 millim. ; (2) smooth slender cylindricals, size up to '77 by 

 •01 millim. ; (3) very glender smooth acuates, surrounding 

 the large ones, size '42 by '0035 millim. ; (4) small spined 

 acuates, rather rare, imbedded in the axis, size '175 by "0125 

 millim. 



Locality. Off Bahia, shallow water. 



Raspailia flacjelliformis^ n. sp. 



Stipitate, branched ; stem short, rigid ; branches long, 

 whip-like. Diameter ^ inch. Yellowish. Axis very dense. 

 Rind thick, friable. Spicules of one form only, almost or 



