182 THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



Text Figure No. 120. Spicule (oxea) of Halichondria adelpha, X 782. 



genus Halichondria. The endosome is equally typical of the genus, being 

 somewhat like crumb-of-bread ; small caverns or chambers are surrounded 

 by spicules in confusion. 



The skeleton consists of long fusiform oxeas of great size variation, 

 many at least as large as 5 /x by 185 p.. 



Very numerous species have been described as of the genus Halichondria, 

 perhaps as many as 200 in all. Of these, the largest fraction have been since 

 properly removed, because they never should have been put in Halichondria. 

 Those of the next largest fraction are quite hopelessly unrecognizable. Still 

 another considerable fraction, when the time comes for revision of the genus, 

 will need to be removed from Halichondria. It is here considered probable 

 that a rather small number of species will then be left, but the very large 

 task of revising the genus is not attempted here. Small differences can be 

 found between adelpha and any other species now located in Halichondria, but 

 the comparison may best be made to the type of the genus, Halichondria 

 panicea, first described as Spongia panicea by Pallas, 1766, page 388. This 

 is often orange in color but never so vivid an orange as adelpha, It is regu- 

 larly characterized by conspicuous oscules. Attention is here called to the 

 astonishingly lipostomous condition of the species adelpha. 



The name is derived from the Greek word meaning "sisterly" to indi- 

 cate that it is a relative of panicea. 



GENUS NAILONDRIA, new 



This genus is here established in the family Halichondriidae, to have as 

 type the following species, Nailondria maza. It is characterized by having 

 a spiculation of strongyles and styles, and in this respect is unique in the 

 family. Other than the peculiar spiculation, the structure is very much like 

 the genus Halichondria itself. The name selected might be considered to be 

 an arbitrary combination of letters, but the latter portion of the name is de- 

 rived from the word Halichondria, and "Nai" is a Greek affirmative. 



Nailondria maza, new 



Text Figure No. 121 



This species is here represented by the following: 

 U.S.N.M. No. 23083, My No. M. 465, here designated as type, collected 

 August 13, 1949, by hand while wading in the western portion of the 

 Truk lasroon south of Polle Islet. This was near a larsfe number of 



