BRITISH SPONGIADiE. 359 



detect any trace of a foramen in those subjected to exami- 

 nation. 



ORDER III.-Keratosa. 



Genus Spongionella, Bowerbank. 

 1. Spongionella pulchella, Bowerbank. 



Spongia pulchella, Soicerby. 

 Johnston. 



Sponge. Fan-shaped, lobular ; sessile. Surface smooth 

 and even. Oscula simple, dispersed, minute. Pores 

 inconspicuous. Dermal membrane aspiculous, pel- 

 lucid. Skeleton. Fibres very slender, reticulation 

 very minute. Sarcode abundant, dark amber co- 

 loured. 



Colour. In the dried state, brown. 

 Habitat. Coast of Ireland, Mr. Robert Brown. North- 

 umberland, (?) Mr. A. Hancock. 

 Examined. In the dried state. 



The type specimen of this sponge, which I had from 

 Mr. James de Carl Sowerby, was described and figured by 

 his father in the ' British Miscellany/ page 87, plate xliii. 

 It was found on the Coast of Ireland, and he obtained it 

 from the late Mr. Robert Brown. Unfortunately, the 

 specimen has been so thoroughly washed as to have de- 

 stroyed all other characters than those of external form, and 

 of the skeleton. 



The sponge is fan-shaped, with several additional smaller 

 lobes springing from near the base of the larger one, which 

 would fill a semicircle of nearly three and a half inches in 



