PORIFERA. III. 



37 



one is a little shorter and a little more stubby, the other longer and more pointed; the fine develop- 

 mental stages are quite monactinal, and the thinner spicules or developmental forms are generally 

 more pronounced polytylote than the thicker. 2. The dermal spicules are acanthoxea, they are 

 evenly curved, sometimes the curve forms an angle in the middle of the spicule; they are fusiform 

 and long-pointed, tapering from the middle outwards. The spinulation is dense, the spines are largest 

 in the middle but decrease in size outwards. The length is 0-137 0-178 and the diameter 0-004 

 0-007 mm . Some developmental stages were found, which were quite fine and more weakly spinulous. 

 The tornotes form the fibres, the acanthoxea occur in the dermal membrane but much scattered, and 

 besides they occur in the tissue, between the fibres. Microsclera are not present 



I think it quite certain that this species is identical with carnosa Tops., as the description 

 answers precisely; the outer shape, the skeleton and the spicules agree, only the spicules are declared 

 to be a little larger, the tornotes 0-53 o-6o mm with a thickness of 0-007 o-oio mm ano ^ tne acanthoxea 

 o-i6 O'i8 mm with thickness 0-005 0-006 mm , but this difference is certainly of no consequence with 

 regard to specific distinction; a fact which also contributes to the settlement that the species are 

 identical is the communication by Topsent, that at the surface: "s'accumulent de large cellules 

 spheruleuses a spherules dissociees, grosses, brillants. . .", since my specimens show the tissue at the 

 surface filled with densely crowded, curious, rather large, elliptical granules 1 ). 



Locality: Station 9, 64 18' Lat. N., 27 oo' Long. W., depth 295 fathoms; station 85, 63 21' Lat. N., 

 25 21' Long. W., depth 170 fathoms; station 89, 64 45' Lat. N., 27 20' Long. W., depth 310 fathoms. The 

 localities lie near to each other in the Denmark Strait. 



Geogr. distr. The species has earlier been taken at the Azores at 38 46' Lat N., 27 17' Long. W., 

 depth 543 fathoms and 38 35' Lat N., 28 06' Long. W., depth 664 fathoms (Topsent. 1. c.). 



microsclera. 



shape. 



I shall here try to give a list of the Grayella species in the consecutive order in which they 

 have been described, at the same time noting their spiculation and outer shape: 



Spicules : 



skeletal. 

 1862. G. rubiginosa O. Schmidt (Spong. d. 



adriat. Meer. 72, Taf. VII, Fig. 5) 

 (Myxilla) tylota 



1864. -- albula Bow. (Mon. Brit. Spong. II, 

 253, III, PI. XLV, figs. 21-24) (Hali- 

 chondria) styli 



1869. -- cyatophora Cart. (Ann. Mag. Nat. 



Hist 4, IV, 190, PL VII) strongylotornota oxea 



1870. -- papillosa O. Schmidt (Grundzuge 



einer Spongienf. Atl. Meer. 57) (Cri- 



brella) strongyla oxea chelae arcuatse tuberous. 



dermal. 



styli 

 styli 



f- crust 



arcuatse crust. 



- massive crust. 



') What these granules may be I cannot say; whether they really have something to do with To pse tit's cellules 

 spheruleuses is, I think, doubtful. 



