i 



New Species of Sponges. 



59 



f 



slender root spicules scattered on one of the slabs. Oi. in- 

 other specimen are lai-ge and strong forking spicules, the 

 principal ray being about 1.5 centimetre in length, with a 

 bulb or expansion at base, giving off two or more shorter 

 and stout rays. They are quite different from any of the 

 forms found at Metis. 



These specimens are from beds referred to the Levis or 

 Sillery formation, and are therefore approximately of the 

 same age with those at Metis. They indicate the wide dis- 

 tribution of Hexactinellid silicious sponges in locks of this 

 period, and hold out the prospect of the discovery of addi- 

 tional species. 



Mr. Ami also sho^ived me a new sponge recently dis- 

 covered by him in the Utica Shale at Ottawa. It consists 

 of radiating groups of long slender simple spicules in a 

 pyritized state. He hopes to make further collections fi-om 

 the same bed before describing these interesting foi-ms. 

 which resemble the spicules of the Pleistocene Tethea 

 Logani, so common in the Leda clay of the St. Lawrence, 

 but which may possibly be root spicules of a Hexactinallid 

 sponge, as there are obscure cruciform spicules on the same 

 slab. 



i> 



Notes on Sponges from the Quebec G-roup at 



MtTIS, AND FROM THE UtICA ShALE. 

 By Gbobgb Jennings Hinde. Ph.D.' 



Through the kindness of Sir J. W. Dawson, F.E.S., I 

 have had the opportunity of studying a series of specimens 

 of the fossil sponges lately discovered in the Quebec group 

 at Little Mdtis by Dj-. Harrington, and also of an example 

 of GyathophyciLS reticulatus, Walcott, from the Utica shale 

 formation. The Metis specimens are specially mterest- 



^ These Notes, kindly communicated by Dr. Hinde, arrived after 

 the previous paper was in type ; and are added without change. 

 — J.W.D. 



