220 J. Q. WALLER ON A NEWLY DISCOVERED BRITISH SPONGE. 



sponge on the " rocks " at Budleigh Salterton, which contains 

 a spicule similar to that of Esperia cnpressiformis, but without the 

 bulbous ends, hair-pin-like. " It is very minute, not being more 

 than 2-6000ths inch long, but in company with the same kind of 

 equi-anchorate and double form of skeleton spicule as those in 

 Halichondria forcepis, though not the same species." (Fig. 17.) 

 From this it would appear that the sponge at "Budleigh Salterton is 

 distinct from that found by Hope's Nose, Torquay, now under 

 consideration, and this is a subject of interest, as showing 

 that the forceps form of spicule is very much varied in size and 

 shape. 



By the kindness of Mr. Carter I have had an opportunity of 

 examining a piece of sponge from Port Elliot in Australia, in which 

 is a similar form of spicule, but of small size ; it is given at Fig. 18. 

 Also in Vol. i., PI. VII., of the " British Spongiadae" is figured a 

 small spicule from an Australian sponge, with some approaches to 

 the forcepiform shape. It is called by Dr. Bowerbank subspinulato- 

 arcuate, and is more like a stilted arch than a forceps, still it must 

 be associated with that form. (Fig. 19.) Fig. 20 is another 

 example from an unknown exotic sponge found amongst an indis- 

 criminate medley of various spicules, fragmentary, and otherwise, in 

 a sponge that thus makes up its skeleton. It is entirely spined, and 

 has conical bulbous terminations to the arms. 



It is strange, to me at least, that such a distinct shape as the 

 forceps should be classed under the generic term of tricurvate. 

 But so it appears to be by Schmidt as stated by Mr. Carter. 

 That a term geometrically precise, implying curves formed from 

 three centres can be properly applied to a form which has only one, 

 ] s to my mind a perversion, having a tendency to confuse our ter- 

 minology already full of difficulties. . The slight tendency to flexure 

 shown in the arms of that of If. forceps, and the indentation in 

 the form of that of Forcepia colonensis, certainly do not warrant it, 

 for neither show anything that can reasonably be termed a curve, 

 except the principal, which I call the spring of the forceps. None 

 of the examples I have seen have any pretensions to be called "tri- 

 curvate," whilst most of them could not be so classed without an 

 abuse of the term. That of the sponge I have described is almost 

 of the shape and proportions of a tuning-fork, and to seek a triple 

 curve in that would be hopeless. The tricurvate spicule 

 found in so many sponges is very definite, and truly so-called. 



