38 Mr. H. J. Carter on Arctic 



III. — Arctic and Antarctic Sponges &c. 

 By H. J. Carter, F.E.S. &c. 



[Plate I.] 



On the 5th of May, 1877, I had the pleasure to receive from 

 Dr. Giinther, on behalf of the British Museum, for examina- 

 tion, five small jars containing sponges &c. collected by the 

 naturalists of the last Arctic expedition ; and certainly the con- 

 tents of these jars, although apparently trifling, are particu- 

 larly worthy of examination, since it is not the evidence which 

 the four entire specimens of sponges that they contain pre- 

 sents which makes them interesting, but the number of other 

 minute objects about the specimens and the microscopic con- 

 tents of the sand which has fallen from them to the bottom of 

 the jar. Altogether, too, their comparison with similar results 

 already in the British Museum, which were obtained from the 

 Antarctic regions and Spitzbergen respectively, renders it 

 desirable that they should be specially noticed. 



Jars Nos. 1, 2, and 3 are from Capt. H. W. Feilden's col- 

 lection, and contain as follows : — 



No. 1. Specimens of a siliceous sponge {Semisuherites, 

 n. sp.) growing upon the outer shell of a large Balanus, which 

 itself bears other organisms that will be hereafter mentioned ; 

 also two horny sprigs of a Hydrozoon bearing parasitically 

 Foraminifera and Diatomaceae. The wdiole, further, labelled 

 "Smith Sound, Cape Napoleon, 50 fths., Aug. 1876." 



No. 2. Specimens of a siliceous sponge [Halichondria pani- 

 cea, Johnston), an Actinia, and a sprig of a colourless, horny, 

 branched Polyzoon. The whole labelled " Lat. 79. 25, F. 

 Pierce Bay, 15 fths. B. T. 29. 50.— 10. 8. 75." 



No. 3. Specimen of a calcareous sponge only, viz. Sycon 

 raphanus, Sdt. Labelled " Lat. 79. 25, F. Pierce Bay, 

 15 fths. B. T. 29. 50.— 10.8. 75." 



Jars Nos. 4 and 5 contain ' specimens collected by Mr. 

 Hart. 



No. 4. Specimens of calcareous sponges, viz. one each 

 of Ute glabra, Sdt., and Leucosolenia coriacea, Bk., together 

 with sprigs of branched horny and calcareous Polyzoa 

 respectively. Labelled " Aug. 11th, ■'75." 



No. 5. Three portions of a Melohesia {M, polymorpha). 

 Labelled " 10-20 fths." 



On a particular examination of the contents of these jars 

 the following report has been written, beginning with 



