74 THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. [CHAP. IT. 



the Halichondridce, with long supporting fibrous 

 beards. 



Erom its appearance when brought up Iloltenia 

 evidently lives buried in the mud to its upper fringe 

 of spicules. When freshly dredged, it is loaded with 



Fir.. 7. Tixiphonia. agariciformis, WYVILLE THOMSON. Natural size. ;No. 12.) 



pale grey semi-fluid sarcode, full of Globigerince, 

 Triloculina, and other rhizopods, and covered in our 

 northern localities with the little ophiurid Ampliiura 

 abyssicoln, SARS, and the exquisitely delicate trans- 



