380 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



marine strata, he had never found these species mixed up with 

 the organisms of the marine beds, hence he inferred that they had 

 lived under different conditions. 



Mr James E. Somerville exhibited specimens of Eupledella 

 aspergillum, Owen, popuhirly known as Venus' Flower Basket. 

 These beautiful organisms, of which Mr Somerville had no fewer 

 than seven on the table for the inspection of the members, 

 attracted great attention. This remarkable sponge was discovered 

 upwards of thirty years ago, and was then so rare that a pair of 

 them sold for as much as £200. Even two or three years ago, a 

 single specimen brought thirty guineas. Mr Somerville called 

 attention to the wonderful regularity in the disposition of the fibres 

 composing the structure. The fibres, which are nothing more than 

 very elongated sponge spicules, are bound together in fascicles. 

 These, varying in number from thirty to sixty, arise from the base 

 or narrower portion of the cylinder, and, diverging very gently, 

 proceed to the upper or free extremity. The longitudinal 

 fascicles are crossed by two series of less regular oblique fibres, 

 which, botli above and below, embrace the longitudinal ones, and 

 proceed in a spiral manner in opposite directions to the top. 

 Strength is further given to the skeleton by a succession of hoops 

 or rings, placed at regular intervals, on the inner side of the 

 structure, and at right angles to the longitudinal fibres. The 

 result of the whole is a beautiful cornucopia of glass, presenting a 

 lace-like surface, with spaces alternately open and closed. In 

 addition to all this, from the two sides of each bundle of oblique 

 fibres, two plates of short upright fibres arise, which meet, and 

 are held together by others which interlace, and thus sharp ridges 

 are formed, which, with their elegant wavy spirals, decorate the 

 exterior of the cylinder. The remote extremity is closed by a lid 

 or net work of strong fibres, with upright projections at the inter- 

 sections. This lid is separated from the cylinder by a broad frill 

 or circular ridge. The absence of the wavy crests and circular frill, 

 among other things, serves to distinguish the only other known 

 Eupledella, viz., cucumer, a species obtained among the Seychelle 

 Islands. The structure of the organism (which is simply the skeleton, 

 the whole being covered in the living state by sarcode) may be seen 

 by tracing the fascicles to the base, where they resolve themselves 

 into their composing fibres. These, along with other free fibres, 

 form a mass of loose, felt-like material, in which are embedded 



