120 



ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS MADE DURING [Jan. 4, 



2 millims. in height. Pores 1 Vents distant from each other by 2 

 to 7 diameters. Texture fragile. 



Skeleton appears somewhat confused in transverse sections ; but 

 this is partly due to the opacity of the sarcode, which conceals in 

 part the relations of the fibres. Spicules aggregated loosely in 

 fibres. The colour of the parenchyma resembles that of most 

 Microcionce and most of the British Halichondrice (Bowerbank) 

 which are related to this species. 



Skeleton-spicules . The heads of the cylindrical are .well marked, 

 being nearly as broad as the maximum diameter of the shaft ; their 

 external halves are covered with small but distinct spines. The 

 whole spicule presents an exaggerated form of the corresponding 

 type in H.pattersoni, H. hyndmani, and //. ingalli (in which species 

 its head is faintly microspined). Flesh-spicules. The inequiancho- 

 rate is of the same form, down to the inferior spine of the small 

 palm, as in the above-named species, as is the bipocillate ("bipo- 

 cillated anchorate" of Bowerbank, "grotesque spicule" of Carter). 

 The latter, which was very seldom found in the microscopic mount- 

 ings, is decidedly larger than in "any of the British allied species. 

 For further relations to these forms, see table of comparison (infra) 

 with the type specimens of Bowerbank's species. 



Ilab. Sandy Point, 7-10 fathoms (on a Pectcn). 



Spicules — -Characters and Proportions. 



Alehion ^jtoav'/^jm;? 

 (Straits of Magel- 

 lan). 



A. {Ralichondrla) 

 2Mttersoni, Bowk. 

 (Britam). 



A. {H.) hyndmani, 

 Bowk. (Britain). 



A. (H.) wffalU,Bowk. 

 (Britain). 



Spiuecl Acuate. 



Sliglitly spined all 

 over ; tapering from 

 near apex ; •15835 

 by '0095 mm. 



Slightly spined all 

 over ; tapering from 

 near middle; -23436 

 by -010537. 



Spines mostly near 

 base ; tapering from 

 middle; -228 bv 

 -0095. 



Spines mostlj' near 

 base; tapering from 

 middle; -152 by 

 •006334. 



Cylindrical. 



With distinct heads 

 -15835 by -0079 

 mm. 



Heads scarcely di 

 stinguishable from 

 shaft; -247 by 

 -006334. 



Very slight, faintly 

 spined heads;-19636 

 by -038. 



Heads less visible 

 and less spined than 

 in preceding; -1457 

 by -02534. 



Inequi- 

 anchorate. 



As in British 



.species. 



-025337mm. 



long. 

 •02.5337 long. 



•02275 long. 



•01583 long. 



Bipocillate. 



As in British 



species. 



•01056 mm. 



broad. 

 About •OOS 



mm. broad. 



•008445 mm. 

 broad. 



•008445 mm. 

 broad. 



Alehion, Gray (P. Z. S. 1867, p. 534) seems to be the only genus 

 at all correctly defined, of the four in which he has placed these and 

 the alhed species ; the character of " branching" should, however, be 

 omitted from it. 



Probably Myxilla rubiginosa, Sdt., from the Adriatic, is allied to 

 these forms ; but Schmidt does not mention any minute f*esh- 

 spicules from it. 



