210 Mr. II. J. Carter on Deep-sea 



seen tliat the anchorate presents the form specifically termed 

 " /?jequiancliorate/' and thus affords, with that under de- 

 scription, the two principal varieties, viz. the " equi-" and 

 " inequi-" anchorates respectively of this spicule. 



Halichondria incrustans differs from Esperia (Carter) in 

 possessing tivo forms of skeleton-spicules, viz. an acuate or 

 club-shaped spicule, spined or not, and an acerate (smooth, 

 curved, fusiform, and pointed at each end), sometimes inflated 

 round, hastate, or even minutely spined, at the ends ; while 

 Esperia only possesses one form of skeleton-spicule, viz. 

 smooth, sub-pinlike, fusiform, with the body frequently tliicker 

 than the head, which is the reverse of the acuate in H. incrus- 

 tans. The anchorate among the flesh-spicules, too, in H. 

 incrustans is equi-ended (equianchorate), while in Esperia it 

 is for the most part twequi-ended (inequianchorate). 



I shall retain the term " Halichondria " for the group of 

 sponges whose type is that of //. incrustans and its modifica- 

 tions, as it is necessary to adopt one for this purpose, and this, 

 which appears to have been first introduced by Fleming in 

 1828 (Hist, Brit. Animals, p. 520), has since been most gene- 

 rally used. 



With this short introduction, let us proceed to the descrip- 

 tion of the deep-sea sponges, which respectively will appear 

 under the names : — Guitari'a Jimbriata, n. gen. et sp. ; Melon- 

 ancliora elliptica^ n. gen. et sp. ; Esperia villosa, n. gen. et sp. ; 

 Esperia cupressiformis^ n. gen. et sp. ; Gliondrocladia virgata^ 

 Wyv. Thomson ; Histoderma appendiculatum^ n. gen. et sp. j 

 Halichondria ahyssi^ n. gen. et sp. ; Halichondria for cipis^ Bk. ; 

 Cliona abyssorum^ n. gen. et sp. ; Desmacella pumilio, Schmidt ; 

 Reniera jibulatay Sdt. ; and Dictyocylindrus anchorata, n. gen. 

 et sp., — to which will be added descriptions and figures of three 

 remarkable spicules obtained from arenaceous deposits, respec- 

 tively dredged up on the Agulhas Shoal, Cape of Good Hope, 

 by Dr. G.C. Wallich, in 1857, and obtained just now by Mr. F. 

 Kitton from Colon, Panama; to the former of which the name 

 Oummina Wallichii, and to the two latter respectively Forcepia 

 colonensis and Corticium Kittonii^ will be given. 



Ouitarra fimhriata^ n. gen. et sp. PI. XIII. figs. 2-5, and 

 PI. XV. fig. 34. 



General form conical (figs. 2 & 3) ; surface villous, even ; 

 villi formed by the projecting ends of the skeleton-spicules, 

 arranged in tufts close together (fig. 3, c/), and somewhat spi- 

 rally over the body, lengthened into a tubular fringe around 

 the apex (fig. 3,rt). Sessile. Colour grey. Vent chiefly 





