504 Mr. ft. Kirk patrick on 



recently sent to me by Canon Norman. The specimens are 

 in the form of small thin crusts on fragments of debris which 

 formed part of an agglomerated mass of shells, calcan 

 alga?, worm-tubes, &c. brougbt up from 60 fathoms off Porto 

 Santo Island, near Madeira. I propose to name the new genus 

 and species Merita normani*, and to place them in a new 

 subfamily, Merlins, next to the subfamily Lithoninse. 



I have to thank Dr. 6. J. Hinde, F.R.S., for his kindness 

 in lending me a section of Petrostroma schulzei Doderlein. 



Minchinella, gen. nov. 



Lamellar Lithoninaj with pore-chimneys on one side and 

 oscular chimneys on the other, each with a skeleton of 

 monaxons, triradiates, and quadriradiates ; main skeletal 

 framework formed of large quadriradiates cemented together. 

 Canal system leuconoid. 



Minchinella lamellosa, sp. n. 



The larger of the two specimens of this species (specimen A) 

 is in the form of a thick, firm, flabelliform lamella, undulating 

 slightly from side to side and expanding upwards from a 

 narrow base of attachment 1*8 cm. long, which has evidently 

 been broken off from the rocks; the margin of the lamella is 

 thick and rounded. The specimen is 64 cm. wide, 5*1 cm. 

 high, and 6"5 mm. thick. The colour in alcohol varies from 

 pale buff to brown, but is almost white at the rim. 



The surface of the sponge is incrusted with numerous 

 small colonies and patches of Tunicates, Polyzoa, worm- 

 tubes, barnacles, and other sponges. 



The poral surface is beset with poral chimneys, those near 

 the base and centre being longer and larger than the younger 

 ones near the periphery, which gradually become flush with 

 the surface ; at the margin itself the dermal membrane forms 

 a roof over branching furrows, and the pores are not segre- 

 gated into areas, though at a later stage the pore-chimneys 

 will grow up from the furrows. 



The tallest chimneys are about 3 mm. in height and 1 mm. 

 in diameter; they are curved, with the convexity towards 

 the periphery ; further, they are narrow at the waist, and 

 expand towards the summit; at the upper end is the pore- 

 area in form of a drum-like membrane with a fringe of fine 

 inonaxon bristles round the edge. The upper four-fifths of 

 the chimney is easily broken off, leaving a circular hole 

 slightly raised above the general surface. 



* Named in honour of Canon Alfred Merle Norman, M.A., D.C.L., 

 LL.D., F.R.S., F.Z.S. 



