236 Mr. 11. J. Carter on Deejp-sea 



Elizabeth, Australia " [?Cape]). There is also a specimen of 

 this in the British Museiini from Port Elizabeth in S. Africa ; 

 but in this species the spicule is acerate, curved, and sharp- 

 pointed (not acuatc) ; still all present the same conical pyra- 

 midal forms, growing in groups like a pine-forest ; and all but 

 the first present the snow-white colour on the surface, with the 

 light tawny- yellow colour interiorly, by which they so much 

 resemble Hatichondria panicea^ that at first sight they might 

 be taken for varieties of this sponge, as before stated. 



Plumohalichondria 77ncrocionides, n. sp. (PI. XII. fig. 11, 

 and PI. XV. fig. 30, a, h.) 



General form, now, globular, sessile at one point. Colour 

 yellowish white. Surface smootli, irregularly mamillated on 

 the free side. Pores and vents ? Internal structure, radiating 

 in plumose branches closely approximated from the point of 

 attachment upwards. Spicules of two kinds, viz. skeleton- 

 and flesh-sjncides. Skeleton-spicule of two forms, viz.: — 1, 

 large, acuate, attenuatingly pointed, globularly inflated and 

 suddenly curved at the large end, which is thickly spined, 

 smooth in the rest of its extent, 68- by l^-lSOOths inch (PI. XV. 

 fig. 30, a); 2, acerate, smooth, fusiform, attenuatingly pointed 

 at each end, nearly straight, 38-1800ths inch long (PI. XV. 

 fig. 30, h). Flesh-spicules of two forms, viz. : — 1, acuate, 

 globularly inflated at the large end, attenuatingly pointed at the 

 other, thickly spined throughout, 1 7-1800ths inch long (PI. XII. 

 fig. 11, a) ; 2, equianchorate, navicular in form ; shaft long 

 and slightly curved; arms long and slightly expanded, falcated, 

 with half their extent thus webbed to the shaft, 28-6000ths 

 inch long (PI. XII. fig. 11, b). The acerate skeleton-spicules 

 are confined to the fibre of the sponge, which is echinated 

 with the large skeleton- and small spined acuates, while the 

 equianchorates are dispersed generally. Size of specimen ^ an 

 inch in diameter. 



Hah. Marine. 



Loc. Between the north of Scotland and the Faroe Islands, 

 in 440 fathoms. 



Ohs. This little specimen is in a jar by itself, labelled 51, 

 which gives the locality and depth above mentioned. It 

 appears to me to be a rolled fragment of a larger sponge, 

 while its thickness, combined with the presence of the acerate 

 spicule, seems to ally it more to Halichondria plumosa than to 

 Microciona, which is laminiform ; still the character of the 

 large acuate is peculiarly like that of Microciona; and hence 

 the appearance of this spicule resembles that of a gradational 

 form between these two sponges. 



