SPONGES — WHITELEGGE. 513 



SIGMAXINELLA DENDROIDES, sp. nov. 



(Plate xlvi., fig. 42.) 



Station 41. 



Sponge arising from a peduncle 25 mm. long and 5 mm. in 

 diameter. The branches are dichotomous, subparallel, frequently 

 coalescent, and terminate in acute points. The figured specimen 

 is 180 mm. high and about 70 wide. The branches are usually 

 from 4 to 5 mm. in diameter. The surface has been denuded of 

 its epidermis and presents an extremely villose appearance, from 

 the base to the summits of the branches. 



Texture tough, resilient, and compressible; colour yellowish- 

 grey. 



Skeleton composed of a series of very slender primary fibres 

 about 0-7 mm. in diameter; these are centrally situated and con- 

 sist of five or six spicules. The secondaries are composed of two 

 or three closely arranged spicules with only a trace of hyaline 

 spongin ; they are gracefully curved upwards and outwards and 

 terminate at the surface in tufts of spicules, which are mostly 

 subparallel, but rarely radiating. 



Megascleres : — straight or but little curved styli ; their greatest 

 diameter is near the centre ; the base is rounded and apex tapers 

 to a not very acute point ; size 0'45 to 0-5 by 0*01 to 0-02 mm. 



Microscleres : — sigmata 0'025 by 0-002 mm. 



This species is apparently intermediate between Sigmaxinella 

 australiana, Dendy, and *S^. arborea, Kirkpatrick. 



SPONGOSORITES, jDe^idi/. 



SPONGOSORITES VARIABILIS, sp. 



(Plate xlvi., fig. 45.) 



Station 53. 



Sponge rudely cup-shaped, with several lateral lamellae both 

 within and without. The specimen has a short peduncle, but 

 the base is wanting ; when obtained it was probably torn from its 

 support, and the cup-like shape was also destroyed ; the example 

 figured is only half of the original. When complete the measure- 

 ments would be approximately as follows : — 130 mm. high, 120 

 mm. in its greater and 80 mm. in its lesser diameter ; the walls 

 of this cup and the lamellse vary from 7 to 2 mm. in thickness. 

 The marginal region of the sponge is irregularly lobate and 

 somewhat coarsely fimbriate. 



