318 My. H. J. Carter’s Contributions to our 
when fully acuate often has its blunt end smaller in diameter 
than the shaft, and on the other that, in consequence of this 
half of the spicule having become thus thickened by shortening, 
the curve or bend comes to be on this side of the centre of 
the entire length. 
Phakellia ramosa, n. sp. (Pl. XIV. fig. 10, a-d.) 
Stipitate, expanded, branched stag-horn-like ; branches 
compressed, terminating, after two or more divisions, in bifid, 
pointed extremities, varying in length and form in the same 
bifurcation, that is, from round or cylindrical and long to com- 
pressed and short. Stem hard and solid. Colour, now, in its 
dried state, light grey-brown. Surface even. Pores and 
vents not seen. Internally presenting in the vertical section 
a dense median plane, out of which, on both sides, extend up- 
wards and outwards little scopiform portions or processes, 
which, in juxtaposition (like those to which I have alluded in 
P. ventilabrum), end on the surface. Spicules of three forms, 
viz. :—1, skeletal, acuate, smooth, sharp-pointed, curved to- 
wards the large end, which is smaller in diameter than the 
body of the shaft, about 50 by 2-1800ths inch in its greatest 
dimensions (fig. 10, a), more or less accompanied by an acerate 
about the same size or a little smaller (fig. 10,5); 2, flesh- 
spicule, acerate, minute, curved, smooth, sharp-pointed, in 
bundles or loose (?trichites), about 5-6000ths inch long, but 
very variable in size above this (fig. 10,d); 3, bihamate 
flesh-spicule, simple C- or S-shaped, 8-G000ths inch long 
(fig. 10,c); both in great abundance. ‘The skeletal spicules, 
with their large ends fixed in the sarcode of the scopiform 
processes and their pointed ones projecting outside, give the 
echinated character (see Pl. XIII. fig. 6,56), while the flesh- 
spicules are plentifully scattered among them. Size of speci- 
men 43 inches high, 54 inches broad, and about 1 inch thick, 
being somewhat compressed ; lamina of which the branches 
are formed about 3 inch thick. 
Hab. Marine. 
Loc. Sydney, Australia. 
Obs. This appears to be an intermediate form between the 
usually cylindrical-branched Dictyocylindrus of Bowerbank, 
and the flabellate form, viz. Phakellia ventilabrum, Bk. 
Hence the branches are, for the most part, compressed stag- 
horn-like, thinning out towards the extremities. The pre- 
sence of the flesh-spicules also is a distinguishing character, 
while the scopiform processes emanating from both sides of 
a dense median or axial structure are remarkably characteristic 
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