486 Messrs. S- 0. Ridley and A. Dendy on 



solid throughout. Surface even, but covered with a velvet-like 

 pile. Skeleton very dense, consisting of closely-packed 

 fascicles of chiefly acuate spicules radiating to the surface, 

 and a dense dermal crust of projecting spinulates. Spicules: 

 — (1) spinulate, with well-marked globular heads and fusiform 

 shafts, size -24 by "0063 millim. (but variable) , chiefly dermal, 

 passing into (2) straight, smooth, fusiform acuates and sub- 

 spinulates, size 1*5 by '0157 millim. 



Locality. Off south-west coast of Australia. 



Suherites mollis^ n. sp. 



Stipitate, with expanded lobose head. Height 1^ inch. 

 Pale yellow. Stem firm but brittle ; head very spongy and 

 soft ; minutely hispid. Skeleton : in the stem a dense axis of 

 longitudinally placed spicules ; in the head very diffuse, con- 

 sisting of loose bands of spiculo-fibre radiating upwards and 

 ending in brushes of smaller spicules. Spicules smooth 

 spinulates, with fairly well-marked subglobular heads, size 

 very variable, length up to 20 millim., diameter up to '03 

 millim. ; in the surface-brushes about '45 by "01 millim. 



Locality, Station 148, Southern Ocean, 240-550 fath. 



Suherites elongata^ n. sp. 



A slender fleshy stalk, expanding into attaching rootlets 

 below, and an oval, elongated, narrow head above. Relation 

 in length between head and stalk very variable — diameter of 

 stalk vV inch, of head \ inch ; total height about 2 inches. 

 Pale yellow. Firm, cork-like, minutely hispid. Skeleton, a 

 central axis of acuate spicules from which, in the head, bands 

 of spiculo-fibre radiate outwards and upwards j branching 

 towards the surface ; also a dense dermal crust of small 

 projecting spinulates. Spicules: — (1) straight, smooth 

 acuates or subspinulates, size 1'8 by '016 millim. ; (2) straight 

 spinulates, with well-marked subglobular heads, size variable, 

 •35 by -0063 millim. &c. 



Locality. Station 75, off Azores, 450 fath. 



Suherites spiralis^ n. sp. 



Stipitate, cylindrical. Height 3| inches, diameter of body 

 5 inch. Stalk and axis of body very dense, body rather open 

 and compressible. Minutely hispid. Skeleton, a dense axis 

 of spicules from which, in the body, radiate loose fibres to 

 the surface, arranged in a somewhat spiral manner and 

 ending in loose brushes of smaller spicules. Spicules : — (1) 

 straight, slender spinulates with subglobular heads, size 1*0 



