236 Mr. H. J. Carter oti Deep-sea 



Elizabeth, Australia " [?Cape]). There is also a specimen of 

 this in the British Museum from Port Elizabeth in S. Africa ; 

 but in this species the spicule is acerate, curved, and sharp- 

 pointed (not acuate) ; still all present the same conical pyra- 

 midal forms, growing in groups like a pine-forest ; and all but 

 the first present the snow-white colour on the surface, with the 

 light tawny-yellow colour interiorly, by which they so much 

 resemble HalicJiondria paniceaj that at first sight they might 

 be taken for varieties of this sponge, as before stated. 



Plumohalichondria microcionides^ n. sp. (PI. XII. fig. 11, 

 and PI. XV. fig. 30, a, h) 



General form, now, globular, sessile at one point. Colour 

 yellowish white. Surface smooth, irregularly mamillated on 

 the free side. Pores and vents ? Internal structure, radiating 

 in plumose branches closely approximated from the point of 

 attachment upwards. Spicules of two kinds, viz, skeleton- 

 and flesh-sjncules. Skeleton-spicule of two forms, viz.: — 1, 

 large, acuate, attenuatingly pointed, globularly inflated and 

 suddenly curved at the large end, which is thickly spined, 

 smooth in the rest of its extent, 68- by l^-1800ths inch (PI. XV. 

 fig. 30, a); 2, acerate, smooth, fusiform, attenuatingly pointed 

 at each end, nearly straight, 38-1800ths inch long (PI. XV. 

 fig. 30, J), riesh-spicules of two forms, viz. : — 1, acuate, 

 globularly inflated at the large end, attenuatingly pointed at the 

 other, thickly spined throughout, 17-1 800ths inch long (PI. XII. 

 fig. 11, «) ; 2, equianchorate, navicular in form ; shaft long 

 and slightly curved; arms long and slightly expanded, falcated, 

 with half their extent thus webbed to the shaft, 28-6000ths 

 inch long (PL XII. fig. 11, J). The acerate skeleton-spicules 

 are confined to the fibre of the sponge, which is echinated 

 with the large skeleton- and small spined acuates, while the 

 equianchorates are dispersed generally. Size of specimen \ an 

 inch in diameter. 



Hah. Marine. 



hoc. Between the north of Scotland and the Faroe Islands, 

 in 440 fathoms. 



Ohs. This little specimen is in a jar by itself, labelled 51, 

 which gives the locality and depth above mentioned. It 

 appears to me to be a rolled fragment of a larger sponge, 

 while its thickness, combined with the presence of the acerate 

 spicule, seems to ally it more to Halichondria plumosa than to 

 Microciona^ which is laminiform ; still the character of the 

 large acuate is peculiarly like that of Microciona ; and hence 

 the appearance of this spicule resembles that of a gradational 

 form between these two sponges. 



