Stephens — Report on Spongex collected off the Coast of Ireland. 13 



sponges with which it is growing by its long styli, which project for about 

 •"> nun. above the surface of the sponge. Plocamia microcionides is distin- 

 guished from Plocamia ambigua (Bowerbank) chiefly by its very long, 

 perfectly smooth styli instead of acanthostyli, and by its acanthostrongyla, 

 which have stout, blunt spines, with microspined summits, instead of the 

 sharply pointed spines of the corresponding spicules of Plocamia ambigua. 



Plocamia microcionides has been found on Lophohelia dredged by the 

 Irish Fisheries Branch (14), and it is hoped to publish a description and 

 figures of the species in a forthcoming paper. 



Family Axinellidae. 

 Phakellia ventilabrum (Johnston). 



R.I.A. Exp. Log 20 (or ? log 53), off the Skelligs, 70 to SO fathoms. 

 Eight specimens. 



E.I.A. Exp. 1886. Log 53, 5-8 miles W. of Great Skellig, 70 to 80 

 fathoms. Twelve specimens. 



R.D.S. Survey. Station 12, off Dingle Bay, 53 fathoms, one specimen ; 

 Station 80, off Slyue Head, 55 fathoms, two specimens ; Station 85, Galway 

 Bay, 19-15 fathoms, one specimen; Station 225, Bosses Bay, 32-25 fathoms. 

 Fourteen small specimens. 



The specimens obtained at Station 225 are small cup-shaped sponges, 

 varying in diameter from 25 to 60 mm., while those dredged off the Skelligs 

 are much larger, the largest having a diameter of 185 mm. The specimens 

 from the latter locality are fan- or cup-shaped sponges, most of them having 

 the margin deeply cut into a number of lobes, the indentations sometimes 

 reaching nearly to the base of the sponge. These specimens are referred to 

 by Brofessor Haddon (5, p. 38). Mr. Holt (8) records the species from 

 Station 115, off the Skelligs, 62-52 fathoms. As may be judged from the 

 foregoing list of stations, the species is fairly common off the west and south- 

 west coasts, at depths of about IS to 100 fathoms. 



Phakellia rugosa (Bowerbank). 



B.D.S. Survey. Station SO, off Slyne Head, 55 fathoms. 



The species is represented by one small, stalked, club-shaped specimen, 

 only 9 mm. in height. Phakellia rugosa has been recorded once previously 

 for the Irish area (14). 



Tragosia iivfundibuliformis (Johnston). 

 B.I.A. Exp. Log 53 (or ? log 20), oil' the Skelligs, 70-80 fathoms. One 

 specimen. 



R.I. A. Exp. 1886. Station unknown. One specimen. 



