BY R. VON LENDENPELD, PH.D. 523 



The piimaiy connecting fibres are very long. I have traced 

 some to a length of 5 mm. They extend from one main fibre to 

 the other, they are vertical to the main fibres. The reason 

 why they are so long, is because they do not connect the 

 adjacent main fibres, but they extend often between two 

 fibres far apart from each other. The consequence is that they 

 cross each other in every direction. The most approximate points 

 of any two crossing fibres are joined by a short secundary 

 fibre which is straight, and very thin. These secundaries 

 are all of uniform length, namely, 0*05 mm. Their thickness is 

 0*0058 mm. and also very uniform. All the primary connecting 

 fibres are of the same thickness, namely, O'OIS mm. 



It will appear from the above that the ramification is a most 

 complicated and unusual one. Teased out specimens and also 

 sections are very puzzling, and it is only by means of making 

 sections in three directions at right angles to each other, that I 

 was able to attain a clear insight into the structure of the skeleton 

 of Euspongia Mathewsi. 



Nothing is known of the Histology of this species. 



Geographical Distribution. 



South Coast of Australia, Fremantle (Carter) • Port Phillip 

 (Carter) ; tropical part of Pacific Ocean, Caroline Islands; Ponape 

 (G. T. Mathew). 



Bathymetrical Distribution. 

 42 Metres. Port Phillip. 



IV. SUB-GENUS. DITELA. 



The interior portion of the skeleton consists of radial main 

 fibres, primary tangental and secundary, radial connecting fibres. 

 This part of the skeleton is very similar to the skeleton of 

 Uuspongta canaliculata dura. The primaries are always simply 

 curved or straight. They are never bent at the joining points. 

 The secundaries are always quite simple and vertical to the 

 primaries. 



