BRITISH SPONGIADiE. 355 



Colour. Alive, bright yellow to orange ; dried, dark 

 brown. 



Habitat. Torbay, Mrs. Griffiths. Shetland, Captain 

 Thomas, R.N., and Mr. McAndrew. Coast of Cornwall, 

 Mr. Beach. Caldy Island, near Tenby, Mrs. Brett. British 

 Channel, J. S. Bowerbank. 



Examined. In the living state. 



I am indebted to the late Mrs. Griffiths for the first 

 good specimen I saw of this fine and very singular species, 

 and I have, therefore, dedicated it to that accomplished and 

 most indefatigable naturalist, who first recognised it as a new 

 and distinct species. It was brought up with the hook by 

 a fisherman near Berry Head, Torbay. I have subsequently 

 received specimens from my friends Captain Thomas, of 

 the Hydrographical Survey, and Mr. McAndrew, both of 

 whom dredged it off Shetland. Mr. Peach also sent it to 

 me from the Cornish Coast, and I have obtained numerous 

 fine specimens from the Hastings fishermen from the 

 British Channel ; most of these are based on large rolled 

 flints ; the largest specimen when dry measured ten inches 

 long, three and a half thick, and six inches in height ; and 

 I am informed by my kind friend Mrs. Brett of Tenby, that 

 she has received a specimen dredged by the fishermen at 

 the back of Caldy Island, nearly two feet in length, six 

 inches in height, and two inches in thickness. In the 

 skeleton of this sponge there is no approach to definite 

 arrangement, the stout polvspicnlons fibres anastomosing 

 frequently and in every direction ; near the exterior they 

 often assume a lamellar form, and at the surface the ske- 

 leton expands into a lamellated network or dermal coat, 

 the areas being closely packed, and nearly equi-distant ; 

 they vary from half a line to three lines in diameter, while 

 the intervening skeleton structure seldom exceeds a line in 

 breadth. Each of the areas are furnished with a thick 

 coraceous veil, which in some cases is perforated in the 

 centre by a single large osculum, which has apparently the 

 power of dilating or contracting. Sometimes the osculum 

 when in a complete state of expansion appears as a thinly 



