24 



he said that they were very widely diffused, and were found in the sea at all 

 depths, from between the tide marks to several miles. As a rule, they were 

 very brilliantly coloured objects, and all the species were fixed in various 

 ways, according to their natural habit, or to the position in which they were 

 found. Their varied modes of attachment were then described, and also the 

 beautiful species which anchored themselves to the mud and ooze. Ryalo- 

 nema, Ewplectella, &c, were figured upon the black-board. The general 

 anatomy of the spouge family was then dealt with, and they were shown to 

 be covered by a dermal membrane, perforated with small holes, the whole 

 mass being traversed by a number of canals, which opened into the sub- 

 dermal chambers on the one hand, and the oscula on the other. The pro- 

 cess by which the currents of water through these channels were set up and 

 maintained was next explained, attention being called to the contractile 

 power possessed by the fleshy portions of the mass. The infinite variety and 

 specific characters of the spicules were next adverted to, and as regarded 

 their mode of reproduction, it was pointed out that they came much nearer 

 to the zoophytes than to the Infusoria. 



Mr J. G. Waller expressed the pleasure which he felt at hearing the sub- 

 ject of the Spo/igiada brought before the Club in so interesting and able a 

 manner. With regard to the contractile power of sponges, he would just 

 mention that in detaching the sponge from the rock it contracted visibly, 

 and discharged quite a large quantity of water. As to gemmules, he was 

 not quite sure if they were right in calling so many things "gemmules, ' and 

 thought it very possible that they might have to modify some of their 

 opinions upon this subject. 



The President said that when he looked at the drawings of the species des- 

 cribed by Mr. Waller, it struck him that he was in some way familiar with it, 

 but whether it was one which had been shown to him by his late friend, Dr. 

 Bowerbank, under his microscope, or whether it was figured amongst the 

 plates which were prepared as illustrations for the 4th Volume of '' The 

 British Spongidaa," he could not say from memory. It would, however, 

 gratify them very much if it should turn out that a new species had been dis- 

 covered by a member of the Club. Since Dr. Bowerbank's time some modi- 

 fications had already been made, and it was curious to remember that with 

 regard to Hyalonema they could never get him to acknowledge the fact that 

 it grew the right way upwards, and he always would call it the " basal 

 sponge," but they knew better now. The study of sponges offered a very 

 wide field for research, and though some observers abroad were doing a little, 

 they might say that there was no one in England who was making a study 

 of them, now that Dr. Bowerbank was gone ; he would, therefore, venture 

 to urge it upon the consideration of the members how vast was the field 

 before them, and if the paper of that evening was the means of inducing 

 others to take up the study, he should be heartily glad. 



The thanks of the meeting were then unanimously voted to Mr. Waller 

 and Mr. Stewart for their communications. 



Mr. Ingpen called the special attention of the members to the slides 

 which had been presented to the Club by Mr. Cole, Mr. Hunter, and 



