258 PLATE LXXXI. 



NOEMANIA, Bowerbank. 

 Plate LXXXI. 



Skeleton composed at the external surfaces of short 

 fasciculi of siliceous spicula ; in the interior, of an irre- 

 gular siliceo-spicular network. Dennis furnished with 

 ternate connecting spicula. Ovaria membranous, 

 aspiculous ? 



Type, Normania crassa. 



The general structure of the skeleton of the type 

 specimen of this genus is very like that of Pachyma- 

 tisma, but it is readily distinguished from that genus 

 by the total absence of siliceous ovaria and by its thin 

 and delicate dermal surface. 



The radial structure of its skeleton near the surface 

 of the sponge and its dermal connecting spicula bring 

 it somewhat into alliance with Ecionemia, but the total 

 absence of a central axial column readily distinguishes 

 it from that genus. 



I have named this genus after my friend the Kev. 

 Alfred Merle Norman, an ardent and accomplished 

 naturalist, to whom I am indebted for numerous new 

 and valuable species of British sponges. 



A genus Normania was established by Mr. G-. S. 

 Brady in 1866, for a section of Crustacea copepoda 

 (vide ' Trans. Zool. Soc.,' vol. v, p. 382), but that 

 title cannot be adopted, as the Normania of Brady is 

 identical with Loxoconcha of G. 0. Sars, which was 

 founded a few months previously (vide G. 0. Sars, 

 * Oversigt af Norges Marine Ostracoder,' 1865, p. 61, 

 and G. S. Brady, ' Trans. Lin. Soc.,' vol. xxvi, 1868, 

 p. 432). 



NOEMANIA OEASSA, Bowerbank. 

 Plate LXXXI. 



Sponge cupshaped, sessile ? parietes stout and thick. 

 Surfaces smooth, outer one minutely reticulated. 



