THE CARBONIFEROUS SPONGES OF THE CLYDE 



DRAINAGE AREA. 



BY JOHN SMITH. 



IN 1876 I discovered remains of Sponges in the Carboniferous Limestone 

 strata both the Lower and Upper divisions. These were described by Prof. 

 John Young and Dr. John Young, F.G.S., in the "Catalogue of Western 

 Scottish Fossils," 1876, and in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 

 1877. They have since been more exhaustively treated by Dr. G. J. Hinde 

 in his Monograph on "Fossil Sponges" issued by the Palaeontographical 

 Society, and in his "Catalogue of Fossil Sponges in the British Museum." 



With perhaps the exception of A canthactinella Benniei, which may have 

 been a sponge with calcareous spicules, all those found in the Carboniferous 

 rocks of the Clyde drainage area appear to have been furnished with siliceous 

 spiculae, and a peculiarity is the immense size of the spicules compared 

 with those of recent sponges. 



They occur in both the Lower and Upper Limestones, but most abundantly 

 in the upper divisions of the Lower Limestones, and though generally in the 

 limestone strata, only occasionally in the shales. 



The divisions are indicated in the following list in heavy letters placed 

 before the localities U. L. S., Upper Limestone Series ; L. L. S., Lower 

 Limestone Series. 



Hyalostelia (Hyalonema) Smithi, Young and Young. L. L. S., Cunningham- 



Baidland, Law ; Birkhead and Auchenskeith, Dairy ; Dykes, Kilbirnie. 

 Hyalonema parallela, M'Coy. L. L. S., Auchenskeith : Dockra, Gateside, 



Beith ; Brockley near Lesmahagow. 

 Tholiasterella Youngi, Hinde. L. L. S., Law and Thirdpart, Dairy ; Dykes ; 



U. L. S., Glencart, Dairy. 

 T. gracilis, Hinde. L. L. S., Law ; Dykes ; Cunniiigham-Baidland ; U. L. S., 



Stacklawhill, Stewarton. 



T. compacta, Hinde. L. L. S., Cunningham-Baidland ; Law. 

 T. crassa, Hinde. L. L. S., Crawfield, Kilbirnie ; Law. 

 Holasterella conferta, Carter. L. L. S., Dairy. 

 Asteractinella tumida, Hinde. L. L. S., Law. 



A. expansa, Hinde. - L. L. S., Blackstone, Dairy ; U. L. S., Stacklawhill. 

 Geodites deformis, Hinde. L. L. S., Law. 



G. antiquus, Hinde. L. L. S., Cunningham-Baidland ; U. L. S., Glencart. 

 Haplistipn Armstrong!, Y. and Y. L. L. S., Law ; Cunningham-Baidland. 

 H. venniculatum, Carter. L. L. S., Law. 



Acanthactinella Benniei, Hinde. L. L. S., Law ; Cunningham-Baidland. 

 Dorydemia dalryense, Hinde.- U. L. S., Monkcastle, Kilwinning. 

 Axinella vetusta, Hinde. L. L. S., Law ; U. L. S., Glencart. 

 Pachastrella vetusta, Hinde. L. L. S., Law. 



