104 A MONOGRAPH OF THE 



My late friend Mr. Thomas Ingall obtained specimens 

 of this species from the trawlers at Brixham, near Torquay, 

 of very much greater size than any I have seen from 

 Hastings and its neighbourhood, some of them having a 

 height and breadth of nearly ten inches. The branches of 

 these specimens were nearly all in the same plane ; few in 

 number, comparatively slender, and gradually attenuating 

 to their distal extremities. Although difTerin; so much in 

 size, form, and proportions, from the Hastings' specimens, 

 no organic differences could be detected. 



Mr. Tumanowicz, of Hastings, has found this sponge 

 alive after severe storms during the winter, and in this 

 state he informs me that they are of a light orange-yellow 

 colour, and that the lateral spicula rarely project beyond 

 the external surface, excepting near the apex of the branch, 

 and then to no great extent. Specimens subsequently found 

 by the same gentleman were some of them deep crimson, 

 with a slight shade of brown. When dried, this species 

 presents a widely different aspect to that of the living spe- 

 cimens ; in the latter state it is smooth and fleshy, in the 

 former it is dark brown, and is profusely and strongly 

 hispid. 



The dermal membrane has no peculiar spicula, but a 

 few of the tension spicula common to the whole of its 

 internal membranes may be seen dispersed on its inner 

 surface. The internal defensive spicula vary considerably 

 in size ; they are very numerous, and three or four of them 

 are often grouped together on the skeleton tissues. 



The only specimen in which I have found the gemmules 

 was sent to me for examination by the Rev. A. M. Norman, 

 who obtained it at Polperro, Cornwall. 



There is little doubt that this species is the one desig- 

 nated Spongia ramosa by Gerard in his ' Herbal,' emended 

 by Johnston, and by Montagu in the ' Wernerian Memoirs.' 

 The description by the latter author of the manner in which 

 it splits, and divides into fascicles, is correct as applied to 

 a weather-worn specimen, but not to an unmntilated one. 



The specimen in Montagu's collection of sponges, in the 

 possession of Professor Grant, of University College, labelled 



