130 Mr. W. J. Sollas on the 



XI. — The Sponge-fauna of Norway ; a Report on the Rev. 

 A. M. Norman' 's Collection of Sponges from the Norwegian 

 Coast. By W. J. SOLLAS, M.A., F.G.S., &c. 



[Hate VI. & VII.] 



In the spring of the year (1879) my friend the Iiev. A. M. 



Norman placed in my hands for description the fine collection 

 of sponges which he had dredged the previous year from the 

 coast of Norway. 



This rich material placed completely at my disposal, un- 

 hampered by restrictions, has proved so fertile in interesting 

 results that, even with the expenditure of the whole of my 

 leisure time, 1 have as yet succeeded only in making a 

 beginning to the work of its investigation. It would be use- 

 less, however, to defer publication till the investigation is 

 complete ; by that time many of the new species which occur 

 in the collection would in all probability have been discovered 

 and described by others, as, indeed, in one or two instances 

 has happened already, and a large part of the labour which 

 has been spent upon them would thus be entirely thrown 

 away. 



As regards the general conditions under which the speci- 

 mens lived, and the circumstances under which they were 

 obtained, I cannot do better than quote nearly entire the 

 graphic description by Mr. Norman himself; he says *, " The 

 district embraced was, speaking roughly, for I do not know 

 the exact mileage, from 15 miles north to 15 miles south of 

 Bergen — the Fiord chosen to the north being Oster Fiord, 

 and the dredging in the south terminating at Kors Fiord. 



" The weather was remarkably warm for the time of the 

 year (May), and the circumstances for dredging altogether 

 most favourable. 



" Dredging in the Norwegian Fiords is a very different 

 matter from what it is in the ocean round Shetland. In the 

 latter case great, expense must be incurred. Exposed to every 

 wind which springs up, in the open sea, with an almost constant 

 heavy Atlantic swell, the employment of a yacht or steamer 

 is absolutely necessary, at least when dredging 20-40 miles 

 from land. After tossing about in such a vessel for a week 

 at sea it often happened that hardly twenty hours' dredging 

 was practicable ; and the greatest depth never exceeded 

 170 fathoms. Compare with this dredging in Norway. A 

 small boat with four men will suffice for our purpose, if fur- 



* " The Mollusca of the Fiords near Bergen, Norway," by the Rev. 

 A. M. Norman, M.A., in the ' Journal of Conchotomy,' Jan. 1879. 



