38 Mr. H. J. Carter on Arctic III. — Arctic and Antarctic Sponges &c. By H. J. Carter, F.E.S. &c. [Plate I.] On the 5th of May, 1877, I had the pleasure to receive from Dr. Giinther, on behalf of the British Museum, for examina-tion, five small jars containing sponges &c. collected by the naturalists of the last Arctic expedition ; and certainly the con-tents of these jars, although apparently trifling, are particu-larly worthy of examination, since it is not the evidence which the four entire specimens of sponges that they contain pre-sents which makes them interesting, but the number of other minute objects about the specimens and the microscopic con-tents of the sand which has fallen from them to the bottom of the jar. Altogether, too, their comparison with similar results already in the British Museum, which were obtained from the Antarctic regions and Spitzbergen respectively, renders it desirable that they should be specially noticed. Jars Nos. 1, 2, and 3 are from Capt. H. W. Feilden's col-lection, and contain as follows : — No. 1. Specimens of a siliceous sponge {Semisuherites, n. sp.) growing upon the outer shell of a large Balanus, which itself bears other organisms that will be hereafter mentioned ; also two horny sprigs of a Hydrozoon bearing parasitically Foraminifera and Diatomaceae. The wdiole, further, labelled "Smith Sound, Cape Napoleon, 50 fths., Aug. 1876." No. 2. Specimens of a siliceous sponge [Halichondria pani-cea, Johnston), an Actinia, and a sprig of a colourless, horny, branched Polyzoon. The whole labelled " Lat. 79. 25, F. Pierce Bay, 15 fths. B. T. 29. 50.— 10. 8. 75." No. 3. Specimen of a calcareous sponge only, viz. Sycon raphanus, Sdt. Labelled " Lat. 79. 25, F. Pierce Bay, 15 fths. B. T. 29. 50.— 10.8. 75." Jars Nos. 4 and 5 contain ' specimens collected by Mr. Hart. No. 4. Specimens of calcareous sponges, viz. one each of Ute glabra, Sdt., and Leucosolenia coriacea, Bk., together with sprigs of branched horny and calcareous Polyzoa respectively. Labelled " Aug. 11th, â– '75." No. 5. Three portions of a Melohesia {M, polymorpha). Labelled " 10-20 fths." On a particular examination of the contents of these jars the following report has been written, beginning with
BioStor
