74 THE DEPTHS OF THE SEJ. [CHAI-. IT. 



the Halichondridte, with long supporting fibrous 

 beards. 



Erom its appearance when brought up Holtenia 

 evidently lives buried in the mud to its upper fringe 

 of spicules. When freshly dredged, it is loaded with 



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



pale grey semi-fluid sarcode, full of Globigerina, 

 Triloculince, and other rhizopods, and covered in our 

 northern localities with the little ophiurid Amphmra 

 abyssicoln, SARS, and the exquisitely delicate trans- 



