BRITISH SPONGIADiE. 103 



2. Dictyocylindrus ramosus, Bowerbank. 



Spongia ramosa. Gerard's Herbal emended, 1577, No. 9. 



Montagu. Wern. Mem., vol. ii, p. 84, pi. viii. 

 cristata, Montagu. 

 Halichondria ramosa, Johnston. Hist. British Sponges, p. 99 . 



Sponge. Arborescent, pedicelled, branches palmate, digi- 

 tate, or irregular ; cylindrical or compressed. Surface 

 smooth and fleshy when alive. Oscula and pores in- 

 conspicuous. Dermal membrane pellucid, aspiculous. 

 Skeleton. Spicula of axis sub-fusiformi-acuate, rarely 

 cylindrical ; radial spicula same as those of the axis, 

 large and long. Internal defensive spicula ; attenuato- 

 acuate or sub-spinulate, numerous ; spines minute. 

 Tension spicula fusiformi acerate and acuate, slender, 

 and often flexuous, numerous. Gemmules, membra- 

 nous, aspiculous. 



Colour. Alive, yellow, orange, flesh-colour, pink or crim- 

 son. Light to dark brown in the dried state. 



Locality. South coast of England, rather common, Mr. 

 Tumanowicz ; Guernsey, and Polperro, Cornwall, Rev. 

 A. M. Norman ; Torquay, Mr. Thomas Ingall ; Rye, 

 Brighton, and Sark, J. S. Bowerbank. 



Examined. In the living state. 



This species is subject to considerable variation in its 

 form. I have obtained a great number of specimens from 

 the neighbourhood of Hastings, where it is frequently found 

 at high-water mark on the beach ; very few of them exceed 

 three inches in height, and they vary considerably in form 

 and in the modes of the disposition of their branches. In 

 some cases they ramify in every possible direction, Avhile in 

 others they assume a palmate or digitate arrangement. In 

 the latter two forms of growth the branches are frequently 

 much compressed. 



