PORIFERA. 
By R. Kirkpatrick. 
THE Sponges brought home by the ‘Discovery’ from the Antarctic Region were 
obtained mostly from two localities, viz., from 183 métres (100 fathoms) off Coulman 
Island, about 200 miles north of the Winter Quarters, and from the neighbourhood 
of the Winter Quarters (Lat. 77° 49'S., Long. 167° 7’ 4” E.), from depths ranging 
from 9m. to 366 m. (5-200 fms.); one specimen, a new species of Hexactinellida, 
came from 914 m. (500 fms.) off Mount Erebus, and another, also a new species 
of the same group, was dredged from 464 m. (254 fms.) when the ship was 
crossing the Antarctic Circle, on the voyage home; and, lastly, a few Sponges were 
dredged near the edge of the great Ice Barrier, some degrees eastward of Winter 
Quarters. 
The specimens were procured by means of dredges of various kinds, such as trawls 
and D-nets, sometimes with tangles attached. Wherever possible, the apparatus was 
lowered in open water, but after the ship was frozen in, holes were made in the ice ; 
and it was necessary to adopt elaboraté precautions to prevent the dredges being lost 
and to enable them to be dragged along the bottom. By these means there were 
obtained a large number of specimens, which afford testimony to the indefatigable 
industry and resourcefulness of Mr. T. V. Hodgson, who was in charge of the dredging 
operations. . 
Mr. Hodgson, in his Preliminary Report on the biological collections (3, p. 397), 
observes, ‘‘ A predominant feature in the fauna was the enormous quantity of sponges 
and sponge débris, anywhere near the 20-fathom line spon 
forming the bulk of the haul as a rule.” 
ges and sponge débris 
The bulk of the collection so far as concerns the size and number of specimens is 
made up mainly of Tetractinellida and Hexactinellida. There are fifty-nine specimens 
of Tetractinellid Sponges, some of them of large size, belonging to four species; the 
5 
‘Belgica’ Antarctic Expedition dredging in the neighbourhood of the meridian of 
90° W. found none belonging to this group. The Monaxonellida are represented by 
forty-three species, and the Calearea by twenty-four species. There are no Keratosa or 
Horny Sponges. 
With the exception of two dried specimens and of a few in formalin, the 
collection is preserved in strong spirit. 
