462 
ever, always be made out. The fibres are never plumose; in a 
few cases they are so clear-cut, that they are seen as compact 
spicula-columns running a rather long course without any spicule 
breaking out. When the main fibres reach the surface, they gener¬ 
ally break up so as to form fan-spread spicula-tufts sustaining the 
dermal-membrane. The dermal-skeleton is an one-layered tangent- 
ially arranged reticulation of tylota. 
Spicules. 2 l. Megascleres. 1. S ty li (fig. 18 a—b), smooth, form- 
ing the main skeleton, more or less regularly curved, tapering 
evenly to the sharp-pointed apex; middle length ca. 260 [i by a 
thickness of 10 2. Acan thosty les (fig. 18c), very scarce, not 
echinating the fibres, straight or a little curved, coarsely spined all 
over, thickest at the base, evenly tapering to the apex; 100X6 p. 
3. Tylota (fig. 18 d — e), with slightly spinous heads, straight or 
a little curved, siender; shaft of even thickness all over; 260 x 10 p. 
b. Microscleres. 1. Anisochelae (fig. 18f—g) of the usually lophon- 
type; 14—20 in length, 4 —b broad. 2. Bipocilli (fig. 18h), 
very scarce, 6—8 {.v. 
lophonopsis major nov. spec., var. tenuis nov. var. 
Port Pegasus, Stewart Island. Ca. 25 fathoms. Clayey mud. 
20/XI.1914. 
One specimen, enerusting on a shell. Colour light greyish. 
Skeleton almost as that of /. minor. The spicular set is the same 
as that of /. major, but the dimensions of the spicules differ in the 
following points: Smooth styli ca. 230 p‘, tylota ca. 230 
anisochelae exceedingly numerous; bipocilli very numerous, 
ca. 10 p. 
lophonopsis minor nov. spec. 
Wellington Harbour. 5—10 fathoms. Hard bottom. 16/11.1915. 
North Channel, Kawaii Island. Hauraki Gulf. 10 fathoms. Hard 
bottom. 29/XII.1914. Little Barrier Isl. 30 fathoms. Shell-bottom. 
29/XII.1914. Colville Channel. 35 fathoms. Sand, mud. 21/XII.1914. 
Several specimens. Enerusting or branching, with cylindrical 
or flattened or irregularly formed branches, which often coalesce; 
largest specimen attains a length of ca. 400 mm; it consists of 
irregularly flattened branches growing in one plane, and coalesemg 
