BY E. F. KALLMANN. 421 



(c)Tlie auxiliary spicules are straight or slightly curved oxea 

 and styli (together with intermediate forms), which are aj^proxi- 

 mately equal in size and number,— the styli being, if anything, 

 somewhat the stouter and more numerous. They measure from 

 260 to about 410/t in length, and, at most, 3-5/x in diameter. The 

 longest of the styli are scarcely, if at all, distinguishable from cer- 

 tain of the shortest and slenderest of the principal spicules. The 

 auxiliary spicules are chiefly conlhied to tlie dermal layer, where, 

 as previously stated, they are disposed in bundles; in the interior 

 they lie scattered, either singly or (more usually) in pairs. 



Loc. — Port Jackson. 

 AxiNELLA HISPIDA, var. TENELLA. (PL xxiii., figs.2, 3; Pl.xxii., 

 fig.6; and text-fig, 18). 

 Description. — Sponge erect, ramose, stipitatej of small size; 

 with the branches disposed in one plane or in overlapping planes. 

 Branches compressed in the plane of branching, and; usually 

 increasing in breadth upwards; stalk relatively very slender, and 

 cylmdrical or only slightly compressed. Surface hispid with 

 spicules, which often project more than 1 mm. beyond it. Oscula 

 apparently absent. Colour in spirit pale grey. Consistency firm, 

 tough and elastic. 



Of the two type-specimens, the larger and more robust (PI. xxiii., 

 fig. 2) measures 60 mm. in height and 1-5 mm. in diameter of stalk, 

 and for the most part has only slightly compressed branches, which 

 spread in the one plane. The slightly smaller, and more profusely- 

 branched specimen (PI. xxiii., fig. 3) has the branches very much 

 flattened, and in consequence of the bifurcation of the stalk, is 

 biflabellate; as, also, the branches are somewhat curled, it assumes 

 a slightly aborescent form. Both specimens are (in alcohol) of a 

 light yellowish-grey colour. 



The main skeleton is composed in exactly the same way as m B. 

 gracilis, but the longitudinally-directed extra-fibral spicules are 

 more numerous in the present species, and th^y thus (unless the 

 sections examined be fairly thin) tend to obscure the lattice-like 

 pattern due to the interlacement of the spicule-strands. The spon- 

 gin-fibres are colourless and (in balsam) quite invisible. 



