288 Mr. Jx. Kiikpatrick on the Monaxonellida 



Surface finely conulose and pilose, owing to the projection 

 of the ends of the main skeleton-fibres about 1 mm., the 

 conules being about '6 mm. apart from each other. 



A few oscules, about 1 mm. in diameter, on a level with 

 the surface. 



Skeleton formed of slender main axial fibres on an average 

 about 2—5 spicules tliick, curving out to the surface, where 

 tiiey form the pile, and of secondary fibres, usually one, but 

 sometimes two or three spicules thick, at right angles to the 

 main ones, with which they form oblong scalariform meshes. 

 Spongin well developed at the nodes of tlie network. 



Spicules. — Megascleres : oxeas, 537 x 22'75 /x, siiarp- 

 pointed, subtornote, a few being distinctly tornote. 



Microscleres : sigmata, very abundant both in choanosome 

 and ectosome, C-sha})ed, 39 x 16'25/x in length and breadth 

 and l'5fi thick. 



There are two specimens. One of them is in the form of 

 a triangular lamella dividing into two subterete branches, the 

 total length being 10'5 cm., tiie breadth 3*5 cm., and the 

 thickness 1 cm. The second specimen is 11 cm. long and 

 3 cm. broad, with little more than a notch at the upper edge, 

 indicating a division into branches. 



The new species bears some resemblance to Gellius flageJ- 

 lifer, R. & D., but differs from it in the absence of the 

 peculiar flageHate sigmata. Further, G. jlagellifer has an 

 even surface, and a dermal skeleton network of s})iculo-fibre ; 

 but in the new species the secondary fibres, usually not more 

 than one spicule thick, are often not present at or just below 

 the surface. 



Locality. Winter Quarters, 25-30 fatli. 



GelUus cucurhitifor mis ^ sp. n. 



Sponge small, free, bulbous, with fistuLir prolongations. 

 Surface smooth, showing under a lens a fine white reticulum. 

 Colour in spirit pale brown. Consistence rather soft. 



Skeleton. — With a distinct dermal layer of irregularly 

 arranged tangential oxeas. Choanosomal skeleton a reti- 

 culum (with square or triangular meshes) of spiculo-fibre, 

 the strands 2-3 spicules thick, with a faint indication of main 

 fibres radiating to the surface. 



Spicules. — Megascleres: oxeas, 312 x 9*75 yu,, slightly 

 curved, subtornote. 



Microscleres : sigmata, varying in size, the smallest being 

 about 20 ft lo'ig^ C-shaped, and with uniform curve, and the 

 largest 39 yu. long, 19'8 yu, broad, and 1'2 fi thick. 



There are two small specimens, both of wliich were found 

 in a tangled mass of debris surrounding a worm-tube. The 



