314 Mr. H. J. Carter on Deep-sea 



little doubt that the figure and spicules respectively of ours 

 are those of Cribrella hospitaUs. But as Schmidt has only- 

 given one of the circular or oval cribriform areas (fig. 19, h) as 

 an illustration of this sponge, I have thought it desirable to 

 add that of the best specimen of the entire sponge as dredged 

 up on board the ' Porcupine,' together with its spicules. 



There are three specimens in a jar by themselves, numbered 

 "57," which gives a depth of 632 fathoms, and a locality 

 midway between the north of ScoJ;land and the Faroe Islands. 

 They have all grown on hard objects, such as small pebbles, 

 coral, &c. ; and the largest, which is irregularly pear-shaped 

 and has been figured (PI. XIII. fig. 18), is 1^ inch high, | inch 

 diameter in the head, and \ inch diameter in the short, stem- 

 like base. 



It belongs to my group " Halichondrina," as the two 

 skeleton-spicules, viz. one a spined acuate (PI. XV. fig. 36, a), 

 and the other a smooth acerate with rounded ends (fig. 36, b), 

 together Avith the equianchorate spicule (which is very stout 

 and broad, PI. XIII. fig. 18, of), and general structure in- 

 dicate. 



Halichondria phlyctenodes^ n. sp. (PI. XIII. fig. 17, and 

 PI. XV. fig. 35.) 



General form blister-like, convex, depressed, sessile, irre- 

 gularly elliptical, fixed by its marginal circumference through- 

 out to the object on which it has grown ; presenting a funnel- 

 shaped extension of the surface here and there, which termi- 

 nates respectively in a short cylindrical tubular prolongation, 

 slightly enlarged outv^ards and truncated at the extremity ; 

 tubular prolongations seven in number. Colour yellowish 

 white now. Surface even, smooth ; dermal structure textile- 

 like, formed by spicules horizontally imbedded in the dermal 

 sarcode so as thus to form a firm membranous covering. 

 Pores in the sarcode tympanizing the interstices between the 

 dermal spicules. Vents respectively at the extremities of the 

 tubular prolongations of the dermal membrane, constricted as 

 usual, at the free end, by a sphinctral diaphragm of sarcode. 

 Internal structure originally delicate, now pulpy, composed of 

 spicules held together by sarcode, in which the branches of the 

 excretory canal-system, now broken down, originally ramified. 

 Sarcode cream-yellow. Skeleton-spicule of one form only, 

 viz. acerate, smooth, slightly curved and obtusely pointed, 

 42- by l-1800th inch (PI. XV. fig. 35). Flesh-spicules of 

 two forms, viz. : — 1, equianchorate, short and stout, shaft 

 much curved, bow-like, arras falcate or webbed nearly to their 



