328 



REVISION or THE MONAXONID SPONGES, 11. 



that the consistency of the sponge is very hard : for this in 

 itself is an indication that the species described was not a 

 licnlera. Finally, some significance attaches to the fact that 

 although the specimen in question was undoubtedly known to 

 Lendenfeld, — as is shown by its having a label written by him 

 attached to it — he omitted to take it into account in his 

 description of (lioiulrosKi colU'cirix, which he states to be an 

 "incrusting" sponge, attaining only "a height of 20mm., and 

 a breadth of 60mm." ; and thus it seems certain that the real 

 identity of this specimen was unsus])ected. Accordingly, al- 

 though it is difficult to believe that CJioudrox'ia (?) rolhctrix 

 could under any circumstances be mistaken for a species of 

 Rtnieru, all the evidence supports the view that such a mis- 

 take was actually made. 



Reniera australis. (Text-fig. 2). 

 Inlvoductory. — The type specimen, which is preserved in 

 alcohol, has the form of a thick layer covering one side of a })iece 

 of blackish wood, which has imparted to the sponge a brown 

 stain. Although at first sight not appearing 

 so, it consists of two specimens united later- 

 ally, one of which has grown o^■er the edge of 

 the other in such a way as to j^roduce an ap- 

 pearance of continuity. Both specimens are 

 generically the same — Reniera: but one of 

 them has a rugged and granular surface, a 

 somewhat olive-brown colour, and spicules 

 measuring 80 to 125/7. in length by 5//, in 

 maximum stoutness; while the other, which is 

 the smaller, has a smooth surface, a yellowish 

 to faintly reddish-brown colour, and spicules 

 mcasuriiig 60 to (rarely) 115 /x in length by at 

 most -t-5 \L in diameter. And there is also, apparently, a slight 

 difference between them with regard U^ the mode of arrange- 

 ment of the skeleton. It is not unlikely that the two arc 

 specifically distinct : and I, therefore, take the latter to be the 

 representative of the species, since it agrees the better with 



Fig. 2. — Reiiitra au->- 

 tralis. Oxea. 



