GEODIA OVIS. 



161 



sterrasters measure 84-97 by 75-85 by 55-70 fx (Lambe, 1893, 92 //). In the 

 centre of a young sterraster measuring 37 /« I observed one large granule, about 

 1 // in diameter, and several quite small ones. 



This sponge was dredged off southern California at Station 2894 on Janu- 

 ary 5, 1889, in 34° 1' N. 120° 33' 30" W. ; depth 97 m. (53 f.) ; it grew on a bottom 

 of sand and broken shells; the bottom temperature was 13.7° (55.6° F.). The 

 specimen described by Lambe was obtained in the Strait of Georgia near 

 Comox, Vancouver Island, depth 7 m. (4 f.). 



Since this sponge is provided with sterrasters and regular triaenes and 

 many of its cortical canals open out freely on the surface while others are 

 provided with pore-sieves, it might be supposed to belong to Sidonops. Since, 

 however, as stated above, a closer examination reveals remnants of pore- 

 sieves at the mouths of the apparently freely opening canals, its sidonoptic 

 appearance is probably deceptive. Believing that, in life, it had not only 

 cribriporal afferents, but also cribriporal efferents, I place it in Geodia. The 

 species of Geodia and Sidonops most nearly allied to Geodia hreviana are the 

 sponges described by Dendy as Geodia ramodigitata Carter and G. areolata 

 Carter, and those here described as G. mesotriaenella, G. mesotriaena, and G. 

 agassizii. From all these it is distinguished by the stoutness of the clades of 

 its large anatriaenes and the possession of minute dermal anaclades. From 

 Geodia (Cydonium) miilleri, to which species Lambe assigned the specimen 

 described by him in 1893, G. hreviana differs by its sterrasters being larger 

 and the clades of its large anatriaenes being much shorter, stouter, and less 

 inclined to the rhabdome. 



Plate 40, figs. 1-30; Plate 41, figs. 1-20; Plate 42, figs. 1-40; Plate 43, figs. 1-8. 



I establish this species for a spirit specimen from the coast of southern Cali- 

 fornia (Station 2975). It has an exceedingly dense and high spicule-fur which 

 is somewhat woolly in character, and to this the specific name refers. 



The specimen is a part of a larger sponge which appears to have been 

 horizontally extended, cake shaped, and about 4 cm. thick. The specimen itself 

 (Plate 40, fig. 28) is 127 mm. long, 50 mm. broad, and 27 mm. high. Its natural 

 surface is somewhat undulating and covered with a woolly spicule-fur up to 

 20 mm. high (Plate 40, figs. 5, 28). 



The colour, in spirit, is light brown. 



The superficial part of the body is differentiated to form a cortex (Plate 40, 



Geodia ovis, sp. nov. 



