108 A MONOGRAPH OF THE 



5. Dictyoctlindus HispiDCS, Bowerbauk. 



Spongia hispida, Montagu. Wern. Mem., vol. ii, pi. v, figs. 1 and 2. 

 Halichondria hispida, Fleming and Johnston. 



Sponge. Pedicelled, arborescent; branches long and 

 slender, dividing dichotomously, or trichotomonsly. 

 Surface smooth, somewhat hispid. Oscula and pores 

 inconspicuous. Dermal membrane pellucid, aspicu- 

 lous. Skeleton. Spicula acuate, large and long, rarely 

 acerate. External defensive spicula same as those of 

 the skeleton. Internal defensive spicula, attenuato- 

 acuate or sub-spinulate, entirely spined; few in number, 

 spines conical; acute and rather minute. Tension 

 spicula acuate and acerate, long and very slender. 



Colour. Alive, yellow or orange. 



Habitat. Coast of Devonshire, Professor Quekett ; Pol- 

 perm, Cornwall, Rev. A. M. Norman ; Diamond Trawling 

 Ground, Hastings, J. S. Bowerbank. 



Examined. In the living or fresh state. 



I have obtained several good specimens of this species 

 from the Diamond Trawling Ground off Hastings, by the 

 aid of Mr. H. Ridley. Montagu's description of the 

 sponge in the dried condition is good as far as it goes. 

 In this state it is remarkably hispid, but when fresh the 

 sarcode is so abundant that very few, comparatively, of the 

 long external defensive spicula are projected beyond the 

 dermal membrane. The specimen described by Montagu 

 as being attached by its side, and branching at both ends, 

 is evidently an abnormal form of attachment and growth. 

 All that I have seen, rise, as he states, " perpendicular from 

 the base," which is generally slightly expanded and firmly 

 attached to a stone or shell. In the recent condition it is 

 soft and flexible. The sarcode is very abundant, and in 

 some specimens it abounded in nucleated cells which 



