BRITISH SPONGIADjE. 181 



smooth margin. The rest of the surface of the sponge was 

 exceedingly rugged and full of furrows, and in every other 

 essential character it agreed with the type specimen. It was 

 an inch and a half in length, by about one inch in width, and 

 about three fourths of an inch in height. 



In Montagu's specimen there are a few gemmules near 

 the surface of the sponge ; they are of the form so common 

 to the Halicliondraceous tribe; membranous, aspiculous, 

 round, or oval, and of a deep amber colour. 



20. Hymeniacidon aurea, Bowerbank. 



Spongia aurea, Montagu. 



Halichondria aurea, Fleming and Johnston. 



Sponge. Sessile, massive, terminating in elongated pro- 

 cesses, or coating. Surface smooth and even. Oscula 

 simple, dispersed, few in number. Pores inconspicu- 

 ous. Dermal membrane abundantly spiculous ; 

 spicula acuate, long, slender, and flexuous. Skeleton. 

 Spicula sub-fusiformi acuate, stout, and long. Tension 

 spicula of interstitial membranes, acuate, long, slender, 

 and flexuous, abundant. Gemmules spherical, mem- 

 branous, aspiculous. 



Colour. Alive, orange yellow ; dried, dark brown. 

 Locality. Estuary of Kingsbridge, Montagu ; Tenby, J. 

 S. Bowerbank ; Bantry Bay, Rev. A. M. Norman. 

 Examined. In the dried state. 



Montagu's description of this sponge is exceedingly 

 meager, and embraces only form and colour. The specimen 

 is of a compressed form, three inches in length by five-eighths 

 of an inchin breadth, and nearly two inches high to the apices 

 of the elongated processes, some of which exceed an inch in 

 height ; they are from four to six lines in diameter at the 

 base, and taper gradually upwards to a bluntly-pointed ter- 

 mination. 



