200 A MONOGRAPH Of THE 



fasciculi, but the latter are always in a dispersed con- 

 dition. 



I subsequently received a second specimen of this sponge 

 from Captain Thomas, from the same locality. He describes 

 it as " about four inches over, and three or four lines thick ; 

 the colour was pure vermilion, the surface smooth and 

 shining, apparently without oscula, the substance firm and 

 fleshy on fracture. The general appearance of the sponge 

 when fresh is like a piece of fowl's liver." 



29. Htmeniacidon suberea, Bowerbank. 



Spongia stjberia, Montagu. 

 Halichondria suberica Fleming. 

 suberea, Johnston. 



Sponge. Sessile, coating, or massive ; compact and fleshy. 

 Surface smooth and even, with terminations of spicula 

 occasionally projecting through it. Oscula in young 

 specimens often inconspicuous; in mature ones large, 

 simple, and few in number. Pores inconspicuous. 

 Dermal membrane pellucid, aspiculous. Skeleton : 

 spicula fusiformi-spinulate, variable in size and tenuity ; 

 gathered more or less into expanding fasciculi as they 

 approach the surface. 



Colour. Alive, yellow or orange ; dried, yellow or 

 brown. 



Locality. The whole of the British coasts. 

 Examined. In the living and dried state. 



A careful examination is required to distinguish accu- 

 rately between this species and //. carnosa. In large 

 massive specimens, or when coating shells, it may usually 

 be safely concluded that the sponge will prove to be II 

 suberea, but when it happens to have been based on a Denta- 

 lium, a VermetuSjOr some other equally ill-chosen locality, not 

 affording it surface for basal expansion, it frequently assumes 

 very much the pedestalled lobular form of //. carnosa. 

 Nor does a microscopical examination immediately solve 



