1 19 
j 430 //, and secondly the thickness is 13—15,7 fi. It is therefore 
I necessary to create a new species for the specimens in hånd. 
! Halichondria intevmedia nov. sp. 
I 
I Carnley Harbour. 45 f. Sandy clay. 6/XII.1914. 
I 
3 specimens. Erect, cylindrical, somewhat compressed at the 
' top, however, and a little thicker at the base; one specimen dend- 
rical. Greatest length 50 mm, greatest thickness 6 mm. A few 
r o.scula are found, measuring from a fraction of one mm to 1,2 mm 
! in diameter. Many ostia lead to the very numerous subdermal- 
cavities. Surface with a great deal of irregular, very shallow furrows 
I or the like; plenty of spicules pierce the dermal-membrane, making 
I the surface finely hispid. The dermal-membrane thin and tolerably 
I transparent, but rather tough, supported by numerous spicules lying 
i pell-mell parallelly with the surface. Consistence softly elastic. 
I Colour grayish-white. 
^ It is with some hesitation that I refer this sponge to the genus 
^ Halichondria, for in faet the construction of the skeleton approaches 
\ rather mueh to that of the Åxinella-typQ. 
I Skeleton. The main part of spicules are collected in indefinite 
j fibres extending slightly arched, diverging, towards the surface. 
; The number of spicules lying side by side in the fibres is very 
; mueh varying, from a few ones to half a score or more. The 
i fibres are every now and then connected with one another by 
intercalating bridges, which generally are separated from the fibres 
‘ at a very acute angle. This whole picture, however, is veiled by 
the numerous spicules, which partly project from the fibres in an 
Axinellioid manner, partly are lying scattered disorderly in every 
I direction; many intercross the fibres in a true Halichondrioid man- 
I ner. But notwithstanding this, the fibres are unmistakable, and per- 
1 haps the species some time will have to be referred to the Axinel- 
; lida. The sponge in hånd is very interesting in taking up a median 
i position between the Halichondriae and the Åxinellidae; other spec- 
I ies do the same, e. g. Axinella paradoxa R. and D. 
! Spicules: (fig, 2) oxea, nearly straight, a straight line from 
i apex to apex will just hit the middle of the coneave side of the 
i 
