BY R. VON LENDENFELD, PH.D. 11 



Chondrosia, Osculina, and Cellulophana contain no flesb- 

 spicules, and I combine them in my Sub-family C]iondrosim«. 



Cbondi'illa contains spherical polyactinellid spicules, and I place 

 it in my Sub-family Chodinssina3. 



Corticium, I consider, as a genus of Tetractinellidte, connecting 

 this order with the Myxospongiaj, in accordance with 0. 

 Schmidt (1). 



Colummites is a Monactinellid Sponge, and I^acinia as Carter 

 (2), and F. E. Schulze (3) have shown is no Sponge at all. 



The Australian specimens I have found can be placed in the 

 existing genera without any difficulty. 



I. SUB-FAMILIA CHONDROSIN.E. Von Lendenfeld. 

 Chondrosidfe without fleshspicules. 



24. GENUS. CHONDROSIA. Nardo. 



Chondrosinfe with one or a few Oscula, a smooth surface and 

 without incised frills to the Oscula. 



54. SPECIES. CHONDROSIA RAMSAYI. Von Lendenfeld, %. 6—9. 



I dedicate this species to the Curator of the Australian Museum. 



Chondrosia Ramsayi appears in flat, irregular masses, attached 

 to rocks etc., by a few small places only. It always seems to have 

 the shape of a convex lamella. The convex side is uppermost. Such 

 a lamella may attain an extension of 40 x 30 mm., and at the 

 same time be about 10 — 14 mm. thick. Smaller specimens are 

 proportionately thinner. 



The color is, extraordinary to say, subjected to no variability, it 

 is always dark blueish black all over the Sponge in reflected light. 



In transmitted lio;ht it is dark brown. 



(1) 0. Schmidt. Grundziige einer Spongienfauna des Atlantischen 

 Gebietes. Seite 64. 



(2) T. Carter. On two new species of Gummmse. Annales and 

 Magazine of Natural History. Ser. IV., Vol. VII., p. 26. 



(3) F. E. Schulze. Die Familie der Chondrosidse. Zeitschrift fitr 

 Wissenschaftliche Zoologie. Band XXIX., Seite 92. 



