PORIFERA. 



BY R K i UK PATRICK. 



THK Sponges brought home by the 'Discovery' from the Antarctic Region were 

 obtained mostly from two localities, viz., from 183 metres (100 fathoms) off Coalman 

 Island, about 200 miles north of the Winter Quarters, and from the neighlwurhood 

 of the Winter Quarters (Lat. 77 49' 8., Long. 167 7' 4" E.), from depths ranging 

 from 9 m. to 366 m. (5-200 fins.) ; one specimen, a new species of Hexactinellida, 

 came from 914 m. (500 fms.) off Mount Erebus, and another, also a new species 

 of the same group, was dredged from 464 m. (254 fms.) when the ship was 

 crossing the Antarctic Circle, on the voyage home ; and, lastly, a few Sponges were 

 dredged near the edge of the great Ice Barrier, some degrees eastward of Winter 

 Quarters. 



The specimens were procured by means of dredges of various kinds, such as trawls 

 and D-nets, sometimes with tangles attached. Wherever possible, the apparatus was 

 lowered in open water, but after the ship was frozen in, holes were made in the ice ; 

 and it was necessary to adopt elal>orate precautions to prevent the dredges licing lost 

 and to enable them to be dragged along the bottom. By these means there were 

 obtained a large number of specimens, which afford testimony to the indefatigable 

 industry and resourcefulness of Mr. T. V. Hodgson, who was in charge of the dredging 

 operations. 



Mr. Hodgson, in his Preliminary Report on the biological collections (3, p. 397), 

 observes, " A predominant feature in the fauna was the enormous quantity of sponges 

 and sponge debris, anywhere near the 20-fathom line sponges and sponge de'bris 

 forming the bulk of the haul as a rule." 



The bulk of the collection so far as concerns the size and number of specimens is 

 made up mainly of Tetractinellida and Hexactinellida. There arc fifty-nine specimens 

 of Tetractinellid Sponges, some of them of large size, belonging to four species ; the 

 ' Belgica ' Antarctic Expedition dredging in the neighbourhood of the meridian of 

 90 W. found none belonging to this group. The Monaxonellida are represented by 

 forty-three species, and the Calcarea by twenty-four species. There are no Keratosa or 

 Horny Sponges. 



With the exception of two dried specimens and of a few in formalin, the 

 collection is preserved in strong spirit 



