398 



A REVISION OF THE MONAXONID SPECIES DE- 

 SCRIBED AS NEW IN LENDENFELD'S "CATA- 

 LOGUE OF THE SPONGES IN THE AUSTRALIAN 

 MUSEUM." Part iii. 



By E. F. Kallmann, B.Sc, Linnean Macleay Fellow of the 

 Society in Zoology. 



(Plates xv.-xxiv.) 



Familia DESMACIDONID^. 



Subfamilia Esperellin^. 



Under this subfamily, Lendenfeld describes four new species, 

 one of which — wrongly named Sideroderma zittelii —is found to 

 belong' elsewhere ; the other three, he correctly assigned to the genus 

 Esperella. In addition, he records Sideroderma naricelligerum R. 

 & D., from Port Jackson; but, for reasons stated in connec- 

 tion with my remarks on Sideroderma zittelii, I consider this record 

 too doubtful for acceptance. One of these species of Esperella (or 

 Mycale, as it is now called), namely E. penicillium, belongs to the 

 small group of related species for which DendydS) has proposed 

 the genus Paresperella. Concerning the necessity for this genus, 

 there is room for difference of opinion; and Hentschel(20), the 

 only author who has since had occasion to deal with a Paresperella- 

 species, does not recognise nor even mention it. I propose to take 

 a middle course, and to regard Paresperella as a subgenus of 

 Mycale. As the species of Mycale number considerably over one 

 hundred, and comprise a wide diversity of forms, it is much to be 

 hoped that a subdivision of the genus, into a number of subgenera, 

 will be found possible. One other group, at least, which seems de- 

 serving of subgeneric rank is that comprising the species character- 

 ised by the possession of pore-grooves, viz., M. lingua Bow., M. 



