1887.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 257 



(1) Parmula batesii, Carter. Ann. and Mag, 1881, j>. 99. 



Spongilla batesii, Bowerbank. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 459. 



Sponge "more or less globular when growing round the small im- 

 mersed branches of trees one incli or more in thickness. Structure 

 coarsely reticulate, extremely hard and rigid, rising into thorn-like 

 processes on the surface. Color light sea-green. Skeleton spicule 

 curved, fusiform, abruptly sharp-pointed, smooth, forming, when 

 bundled together with the hard transparent sarcode, the rigid struct- 

 ure above mentioned, charged throughout with statoblasts. Stat- 

 oblast large, globular, more or less uniformly tuberculated. Aper- 

 ture infundibular. Crust very thick, composed of granular microcell- 

 structure of a white color, whicli, growing out through the intersti- 

 ces of the reticular arrangement of skeleton-spicules, reduced in size, 

 which form a capsular covering to the statoblast, gives it the tuber- 

 culated character mentioned. Charged with and surrounded by 

 minute, thin, curved, fusiform, gradually sharp-pointed, spinous acer- 

 ates, irregularly dispersed throughout its substance, limited, both 

 inside and outside, by a layer of parmuliform spicules, the former in 

 contact with the chitinous coat, and the latter on the free surface of 

 the crust, giving it a light l)rown color. Parmuliform spicule cir- 

 cular, flat, infundibuliform, terminating in a point, like a little 

 round shield turned up at the margin, which is even, arranged both 

 internally and externally in juxtaposition, more or less overlapping 

 each other, with the funnel-shaped process outwards in both instan- 

 ces, so that the surface of the crust is covered with little points." 



Carter. 



Loc. River Amazon. 



(2) Parmula brownii, Carter. Ann. and Mag. 1881, p. 99, 



Spongilla brownii, Bowerbank. Proc. Zool. Soc. 183, p. 457. 



Sponge "globular four or more inches in diameter, appended to a 

 small twisT rather than embracing it. Structure and color the same 

 as in the foregoing species. Skeleton-spicules the same but dimin- 

 ished to half their size round the statoblasts, to Avhich they afford a 

 distinct capsule. Statoblast globular ; aperture slightly infundib- 

 ular ; crust thin, composed of microscopically minute, spherical cells, 

 irregularly agglomerated together, so as to produce small lacinuli- 

 form processes, which project into the interspaces between the cap- 

 sular spicules; unaccompanied by the spinous s]iicule, which is pres- 

 ent in the foregoing species, and without a continuous layer of the 

 parmuliform spicule over the surface, but presenting one in contact 



