Stephens — Report on Sponges collected of the Coast of Ireland. 7 



Family Desmacidonidae. 



Sub-family Mycalinae. 



Mycale macilenta (Bowerbank). 



B.D.S. Survey. Blacksod Bay. Two specimens. 



The sponges are covering the valves of two living Pectens (P. opercularis). 



Mycale placoides (Carter) Lundbeck. 



B.I. A. Exp, 1886. Log 53, 5-8 miles west of Great Skellig, 70-SO 

 fathoms. Three small fragments. 



B.D.S. Survey. ? Blacksod Bay, fragments ; station 72, 20 miles off 

 Achill Head, 127 fathoms, two specimens. 



This species is taken in the sense in which it is understood by 

 Lundbeck (11), who carefully distinguishes Carter's species from its near 

 ally, Mycale lingua (Bowerbank). 



The largest specimen obtained measures 130 mm. by 90 mm. by 43 mm. 

 in thickness. 



The specimens which are labelled Blacksod Bay have already been referred 

 to (12, p. 34). It is probable that the locality is wrongly given on the label, 

 as Mycale placoides has never been taken in such shallow water as obtains in 

 Blacksod Bay, where the soundings are, for the most part, 6 to 8 fathoms, a 

 depth of 10 fathoms occurring towards the moutli of the Bay. 



Since the foregoing specimens were collected, numbers of large specimens 

 have been obtained off the west and south-west coasts of Ireland by the Irish 

 Fisheries Branch (14). 



Mycale (Paresperella) atlantica, n. sp. Plate I, fig. 1. 



B.D.S. Survey. Station 124, 50 miles W. of Bolus Head, 220 fathoms. 



The sponge is growing on Zophohelia prolifera, and it formed apparently 

 a thick encrustation or cushion on the coral. Its longer diameter is about 

 18 mm., but the sponge is greatly damaged, so that its exact shape and limits 

 cannot be made out. It is well characterized, however, by its distinctive and 

 beautiful spiculation. The texture of the sponge is soft and fragile, and the 

 surface, seen under the leus, is very slightly hispid. 



A second specimen of the species, merely a small fragment, was growing 

 on another branch of the coral. 



Skeleton. — As far as can he seen from the scanty material available the 

 main skeleton is composed of fibres, up to about - 05 mm. in thickness, which 

 consist of closely packed subtylostyli. These fibres run upwards through the 

 sponge, branching here and there. At a short distance below the surface they 



