1898-1902. No. 23] SPONGES. 



from Ellesmere Land have often only one or two spicules, while the 

 fibres described by Bowerbank are furnished with numerous spicules. 

 There is also a little difference in the form of the spicules, those in the 

 present specimens not being so acutely pointed as those in Bowerbank's 

 specimens from Great Britain, and in specimens from the west coast of 

 Sweden ; but I suppose that the difference is only owing to the locality. 



It is self-evident that from the specimens described above, no con- 

 clusions can be drawn with regard to the sponge-fauna of the coast of 

 Ellesmere Land. A few more dredgings would no doubt give very inte- 

 resting results. In "Sponges from the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and 

 the Behring Sea", I have described not less than 15 species from the 

 west coast of Greenland, belonging to the genera Hyalonema GRAY, 

 Amorphina 0. S., Isodictya Bow., Suberites Nardo, Tethya Lmk., 

 Desmacella 0. S., Cornulum GARTEN, Esperia Nardo, Cladorhiza, 

 WYV. THOMS., Clathria 0. S., and Axinella 0. S. 



I am sure that many of these are to be found off the coast of 

 Ellesmere Land ; and if it could be more perfectly explored, we should 

 learn the northern limit of some at least of the above-mentioned genera. 



In the collection sent to me, I found a few very large acerate spi- 

 cules of some sponge attached to an ascidia. They may possibly have 

 belonged to a member of the genus Hyalonema. 



Printed Oct. 9, 1909. 



