BY E. P. HALLMANN. 779 



scattered embryos, the largest of which are more than 1mm. in 

 diameter and are provided with irregularly scattered megas- 

 eleres in the form of excessively slender, straight to flexuous 

 styli (Text-fig. 1 g), mostly with a bead-like dilatation just 

 above the basal extremity, and ranging in length from less than 

 80 up to about 200 /x. (The specimens were collected about the 

 middle of the month of March.) 



Loc— Coast of New South Wales, off Wata Mooli (52-71 

 fms.), off Bulgo (57-63 fms.), and off Wollongong (55-56 fms.). 

 "Thetis'- Expedition. 



Genus Axociella, gen nov. 



Definition. — Desmacidonidae with isochelae palmatae and 

 (or?) toxa as microscleres, and of erect lamellar or ramose 

 habit : in which the main skeleton consists axially of a condensed 

 reticulation of strongly-developed spiculo-spongin fibres, and 

 extra-axially of strands or bundles of spicules (perhaps some- 

 times reduced to single spicules) directed radially; and in which 

 the megascleres are smooth styli of three kinds, occurring re- 

 spectively (i.) in the fibres of the axial reticulation, (ii.) in the 

 radial strands, and (iii.) interstitially and dermally. Typically 

 the fibral megascleres are scarcely different from those of the 

 extra-axial strands except in being of smaller size, and are con- 

 nected with them by intermediate forms; but the dermal megas- 

 cleres are quite distinct, and belong to the category of auxiliary 

 megascleres. 



Type, A. cylindrica Ridley and Dendy; the only species. 



I identify the type-species of this genus with Ridley and 

 Dendy's Esperiopsis cylindrica. The sponge recorded by White- 

 legge (23) under the same name is a quite distinct species, 

 which it will be convenient to include provisionally in the genus 

 Ophlitaspongia; and as the species is a new one I propose for 

 it the name 0. thetidis* 



* In this species, — of which a figure illustrating the external form has 

 been provided by Whitelegge (23, PI. xliii., fig. 6) and another (showing 

 a much more profusely branched specimen) is given here (PI. xxxviii.), — 

 the skeleton is reticulate throughout, fairly regular in pattern, and 

 scarcely or not at all condensed axially (PI. xxxix., fig. 2). The main 

 fibres, which vary in stoutness from about 50 to 150/n, are only very 

 sparsely cored with smooth stylote megascleres (ranging in size from 

 less than 200 x 10fJ. to rarely upwards of (500 x 20/u.) in the more interior 



