436 
There is a not very distinct cortex, about 0,25 mm thick. Consi- 
stence hard, colour grey and white. 
The skeleton is typically radiate, the primary fibres are mostly 
built up of triaenes; they are running perpendicularly towards the 
surface. The spicules are not densely packed, hence the ground- 
substance must be very tough, as the consistence of the sponge 
appears rather hard; the outermost placed triaenes are mainly ortho- 
triaenes with recurved cladi; long dermal oxea are projecting out 
from the sponge body, being placed perpendicularly towards the 
surface between the dermal brushes of the primary fibres. Chiasters 
are found everywhere in the body. 
Spicules: 1. Orthotriaenes (fig. 1 a, b), shaft slraight, thickest 
at the base, tapering evenly towards the generally sharp-pointed 
apex; about 2000X42 /<; the cladi are straight or more or less 
recurved, tapering towards the sharp-pointed or somewhat blunt 
apices; width of cladome about 320 2. Anatriaenes (fig. Ic); 
shaft straight, siender, generally sharp-pointed; length up to 2000 p, 
thickness 24/<; cladi short, width of cladome ca. 92 ju. 3. Oxea, 
(fig. 1 d); siender, thickest in the middle, evenly tapering, sharp- 
pointed or a little blunt; about 1700X29 4. Cortical oxea; 
of the same shape as 3, but only ca. 1100X17 /ti; intermediate 
sizes between the two forms occur. 5. Chiasters (fig. le); with 
numerous comparatively short tylote rays; total diameter about 10/t. 
Stelletta novae>^zealandiae nov. spec. 
(Fig. 2 a—e.) 
2milesEast ofNorthCape, N.Z. SSfathoms. Hard bottom.2/I.1915. 
One specimen. 
The body is nearly spherical, though provided with a ridge half 
way round; greatest diameter 19 mm; surface hispid. No oscula 
are to be seen. There is a dense and hard cortex, ca. 1 mm thick, 
very fibrous, of whitish colour. Numerous lacunes, up to 1 mm 
in diameter are situated just beneath the cortex, leading into wide 
canals; there are many more canals in the outer part of the sponge- 
body than in the interior. The dermal-membrane is densely packed 
with an one-layered erust of oxyasters. Colour dark grey. Consi¬ 
stence hard. 
The skeleton is distinetly radially arranged; bundless of triaenes 
and oxea are running vertically towards the surface from the centre 
