PORIFERA. III. 



Geogr. dislr. The species is earlier known from the following localities: 65 miles North North- 

 West of the Orkneys, depth 290 fathoms ("Porcupine"); 6ioo' LatN., 4 49' Long. E., depth 200 fathoms, 

 Vestfjord, depth 341 fathoms, 74 08' LatN., 31 12' Long. E., depth 147 fathoms, (The Norwegian North 

 Atlantic Exp.); in the Bergensfjord and at Trondhjem, depths 70 to 266 fathoms (Arnesen). If the 

 interpretation of Topsent's two species is correct it has further been taken on 43 47' Lat. N., 9 27' 

 Long. W., depth 160 fathoms, 38 27' Lat. N., 28 03' Long. W., depth 277 fathoms and 37 57' Lat. N., 

 29 15' Long. W., depth 106 fathoms. According to these localities the species is distributed between 

 74 and 38 Lat. N., and between 36 Long. W. and 31 Long. E. with a bathymetrical range from 70 

 to 752 fathoms. 



2. G. gelida n. sp. 

 PI. II, Fig. 20, PI. V, Fig. 3. 



Erect, club-shaped and pcdunculated. Surface smooth, densely beset with more or less distinct 

 pore-areas. The dermal membrane over the areas a thin membrane, supported by the ends of the fibres 

 of the main skeleton Pores situated in the pore-areas, osculum spout-shaped, at the summit of the sponge. 

 The dermal skeleton formed of close-lying, tangential acanthostrongyla, in the pore-membrane there are 

 only chela-. The main skeleton consisting of a powerful median axis from which fibres radiate to the 

 surface; there are no transverse fibres, but between the fibres lie acanthostrongyla. Spicula: megasclera; 

 the skeletal spicules smooth tornota, more or less polytylote, 0-40 0-53""", the dermal spicules acantho- 

 strongyla o-ii o-icj mm ; microsclera chela arcuata 0-024 0-028""". 



This species, of which we have only one specimen, has an outer shape almost like the 

 preceding; it is erect and slender club-shaped, the lower part forms a peduncle which is broken below. 

 The thickened part of the body is bent rectangularly above, but this is certainly only due to con- 

 traction. The length of the sponge, when straightened out, is 50" of which the peduncle has i8 mm ; 

 the thickness is above 7 mm . The consistency is hard, and the sponge is evidently highly contracted. 

 The colour (in spirit) is whitish yellow. The surface, is in most places beset with warts or knobs, as 

 the pore-areas, on account of the strong contraction, are closed and form in this state only small 

 protuberances; only in a few places they are open and show here the ordinary, characteristic appearance. 

 There are no projecting spicules. The dermal membrane is a thin membrane over the pore-areas, and 

 between the areas it is richly provided with spicules. Pores and oscula: With regard to pores and 

 oscula quite the same holds good, as was said about the preceding species. The pores lie in a similar 

 way in the sieve-like pore-membranes on the pore-areas; they had a diameter of up to o-o6 nim . 

 Of oscula only one is found on the specimen, it forms a somewhat high collar just at the top of 

 the sponge. 



The skeleton. This is also constructed quite as in the preceding species. The dermal skeleton 

 consists of close-lying, tangential acanthostrongyla, they seem mainly lying only in one layer; they are 

 not present in the pore-membrane, but here chelae are found. The main skeleton consists of a power- 

 ful axis and of fibres radiating out from it, which are divided outwards towards the surface and 

 support the dermis; the outermost spicules in the fibres meet the dermis especially along the edges 

 of the pore-areas; connecting fibres are not found, but acanthostrongyla are lying between the fibres; 



