252 PERCY SLADEN TRUST EXPEDITION 



The main skeleton is a confused, dense feltwork of large oxea, with numerous 

 oxyasters and sanidasters scattered between. 



Spicules : — (1) Oxea (Plate 46, fig. 6 a) ; fusiform, more or less curved ; for the most 

 part gradually and sharply pointed, but may be rounded off at one or both ends, i.e. stylote 

 (fig. 6 a') or strongylote. Size up to about 2*1 by 0"065 mm. 



(2) Oxyasters (fig. 6 b) ; rays slender, sharply pointed, slightly roughened, usually 

 about 10 in number, often springing from a small but distinct centrum ; total diameter of 

 spicule about 0'05 mm. 



(3) Sanidasters (fig. 6 c) ; with approximately straight axis, usually bifurcate or 

 trifurcate at the ends, and with a number of rather short, strongylote spines coming off 

 irregularly along its length or in two principal whorls ; total length about 0"02 mm. 



In describing my Asteropus haeckeli from Ceylon in 1905 I pointed out its close 

 relationship to Carter's Stellettinopsis simplex from Western Australia, and suggested that 

 the future discovery of intermediate forms might justify us in uniting the two. This 

 union has since been effected by Hentschel [1909] on the basis of Australian material 

 collected by the Hamburg South-West Australian Expedition. I have no doubt that he 

 is right, nor have I any doubt that the " Sealark " specimen falls within the same species. 



Mr Carter, when he first described the species in 1879 referred to a specimen from 

 Hayti which he believed to belong to the same species, but which differs in small details 

 of spiculation. In 1905 I expressed doubt as to this identification, but a careful examina- 

 tion of Carter's original preparation, now in my possession, convinces me that he was right, 

 and that the differences in spiculation, such as the very slightly inflated ends of the rays 

 of the aster, ai-e not of specific value. 



Previously known Distribution. Fremantle, Western Australia (Carter) ; Port 

 Phillip Heads, Victoria (Carter 1886); South- West Australia (Hentschel); Ceylon 

 (Dendy) ; Okhamandal (Dendy) ; Hayti (Carter). 



Register No., Locality, &c. lxxviii. 2, Cargados Carajos, 28.3.05, B. 2, 30 fathoms. 



Genus Jaspis Gray [1867 f]. 



Stellettidse (?) with oxeote megascleres irregularly interlaced to form a confused 

 skeleton, and with microscleres in the form of euasters (and perhaps microxea which cannot 

 be sharply distinguished from the megascleres). 



This genus was proposed by Gray [1867 f] for the reception of Schmidt's Vioa john- 

 stonii, with the diagnosis "Spicules of two kinds: — 1. Fusiform. 2. Stellate." 



SoUas [1888] proposed the genus Astropeplus for the reception of his Astropeplus 

 pulcher. Lendenfeld [1896] showed that Astropeplus pulcher SoUas is synonymous with 

 Vioa johnstonii Schmidt, but unfortunately placed that species in the genus Xenospongia, 

 which had been proposed by Gray [1858] for a totally different sponge. Topsent [1898 b] 

 pointed out that Vioa johnstonii cannot be a Xenospongia and relegated it to SoUas's 

 genus Coppatias, which had been defined by SoUas [1888] as comprising " Epipolasidse in 

 which but one form of aster, and that a euaster, is present." SoUas's Astropeplus thus 

 became for Topsent a synonym of the same author's Coppatias. In his Monograph on the 



