Mr. II. J. Carter on Holasterella and Hemiasterella. 147 
sarcode, charged with long acuate spicules and little stellates 
like those of the incrustration, presenting a light yellow 
colour. Spicules of two kinds, viz.: — 1, skeleton-spicule, long, 
acuate, smooth, curved, and gradually sharp-pointed, l-15th 
inch long by l-900th inch thick in its greatest dimensions 
(fig. 9) ; 2, flesh-spicule, stelliform, rays variable in number, 
four to eight, straight, smooth, sharp-pointed, meeting in the 
centre without inflation, largest about l-720th inch in dia¬ 
meter, and of all sizes below this (fig. 9, a, b) . The former 
chiefly confined to the internal structure, and the latter to the 
incrustation ; but both equally mixed throughout the interior. 
Size of specimen 11 by 4 inches across the brim, flinches 
deep, wall about l-fltli inch thick. 
Hah. Marine. 
LiOC. - ? 
Obs. Examined in the dry state. This specimen, which I 
found, without label, in the late Dr. Bowerbank’s collection, 
seems, from its tough, flexible, and light cork-like consistence, 
to belong to the second family of my Holorhaphidota, viz. the 
Suberitida, where it might come in as a new group under the 
name of u Hemiasterellina,” from its being half composed of 
stellates without inflation of the centre. With the exception 
of Xenospongiapatelliformis , I have met with no recent sponge 
with such a lai’ge proportion of similar stellates in its spicu- 
lation. Certainly in Ilymeraphia spiniglobata , a new species 
to be hereafter described, the proportion of stellates is equally 
great; but then they are totally different in form, being spini- 
globate, and the sponge itself hitherto has only been seen in 
the state of a mere film as regards thickness. (Bk. coll, 
no. 715.) 
Hemiasterella affinis , n. sp. (PI. XXI. fig. 10, o, b } c .) 
Long, narrow, conical, cylindrical, excavated, cup-like, ap¬ 
parently fringed or toothed on the margin of the orifice, which 
has been partly worn off, proliferous on the outer side. 
Colour white. Substance tough, flexible, cork-like. Surface 
shallow-rugose-reticulate on each side, covered with a white 
incrustation of little stellates, which is thickest on the outer 
side, through which long acerate spicules project. Pores and 
vents not conspicuous; the latter probably numerous and 
small, being the outlets of many small excretory systems, as 
is generally the case in these sponges. Internal structure 
tough, areolar, composed of light flaky sarcode charged Avith 
long acerate spicules and little stellates like those of the sur¬ 
face, presenting a light yellow colour. Spicules of two kinds, 
viz.:—1, skeleton-spicule, long, acerate, smooth, curved, and 
