20 



have more the character of those in vagabunda, others resemble more inconstans. In S. inconstans 

 var. globosa and S. inconstans var. maeandrina the texture is said to be "hard and woody", 

 which can certainly not be said of the brittle var. digitata (B. M. 23)- The same differences 

 we find in vagabunda. The color in S. vagabunda var. trincomaliensis is said to be "nearly 

 black, with a greenish tinge"; in var. tubulodigitata it varies "from light to dark grey"; in 

 var. fitngoides and var. gallensis it is "pale yellowish-grey". On the other hand Dendv states 

 that the color in all the three varieties of S. inconstans is "brownish orange". But Thiele 

 says (1899 p. 10) about S. inconstans: "Die meisten Exemplare haben im trockenen Zustande 

 eine orangebraune Farbe, wie auch Dendy angiebt, davon weicht das zuletzt erwahnte Exemplar 



durch bedeutend dunklere graubraune Farbe ab " Judging from the Siboga specimens I 



came to the same conclusion. Several of the specimens which are doubtless identical with 

 Dendy's 5. inconstans possess that remarkable yellowish or orange tinge, which corresponds 

 better to Saccardo's ochraceus or ferrugineus than to luteus or aurantiacus. Some, however, 

 are pale yellowish (1341 b), or pale yellowish-grey (98)- On the other hand some of the specimens 

 which are doubtless identical with vagabunda are dark brown, whereas others are pale yellowish, 

 sometimes even with "ferrugineus" spots. If we then find that in spiculation they all agree on 

 the whole, but all differ in details and that numerous gradual transitions are found, it becomes 

 more and more evident that vagabunda and inconstans can not be specifically distinguished. 



We saw before that the Siboga specimens 612 a, 964 a and g66 a may be considered 

 identical with Hynieniacidon angulata Bwk. On the other hand it cannot be denied that these 

 specimens are closely allied to, nay identical with Suberites inconstans var. globosa and var. 

 maeandrina ; the same is true for 98, 931 a-b, 964 b, 966 c, 977 etc. Consequently H. angulata 

 and S. inconstans are identical. But it can as little be denied that 1971, 1975, 2049 are identical 

 with S. inconstans var. digitata (B. M. 11 and B. M. 23) ; further it is beyond doubt that the 

 former three are identical with 1365 



XVIII. Suberites trincomaliensis. 



18S7 Carter p. 74 — 75; PI. VI, fig. 7—8. 

 1889(4;) Dendy p. 24. 

 1905 Dendy p. 122 — 123. 



Carter mentioned in 1882 a a Suberites" from Trincomalee; we have seen that Ridley 

 considered this sponge as a variety of Spirastrella vagabunda. Carter, however, believes it to 

 be a special species and called it (1887) Suberites trincomaliensis. I agree with Ridley and 

 with Dendy in rejecting the "species". 



XIX. Hymeraphia minax. — Spirastrella minax 1 ). 



188S Topsent p. 141 — 142; PI. VI, fig. 7. 

 1890 Topsent p. 200. 

 1892 («) Topsent p. xvii. 



1) The name Spiras/ril/a minax occurs for the first time in Topsen't's paper 1S92 (a). But here as well as in 1894(13) and 

 1896 it is nothing but a name. It was only in 1900 that the author explained that 5. minax and H. minax were synonyms. 



