562 STUDIES ON SPONGES, 



IL-EAPHYRUS HIXONII. 



A NEW GIGANTIC SPONGE FROM PORT JACKSON. 



In 1862 Oscax' Schmidt described two sponges (1) as Papillina 

 suberea and nigricans from the Mediterranean. In 1866 Bower- 

 bank (2) described a sponge as Raj)hyrus griffithsii which has also 

 been figured (3.) Oscar Schmidt (4), afterwards colmbined tliis 

 Raphyrus ot Bowerbank with his own Papillina suberea, an 

 arrangement which has been also adopted by Norman. (5) 



According to this the genera Raphyrus (Bowerbank), and 

 Papillina (O. Schmidt), would appear identical. Among the 

 Australian Sponges there are forms which doubtlessly belong to 

 the genus Papillina (O. Schmidt), whereas others again appear 

 very different from these and coincide with Bowerbank's Raphyrus. 

 All however, contain besides the bulb ac, the pin-shaped spicules, 

 also tr. tr. sp. I assume that these also occur in the European 

 species, but escaped the observation of Bowerbank and O. Schmidt. 

 I think that both these genera should be retained. In Papillina 

 the internal cavities are irregular and large, in Raphyrus tliey are 

 very similar to the cells of a honeycomb, smaller and very regular. 



The species to be described below, belongs to the latter genus, it 

 is fairly abundant in Port Jackson, Numerous specimens mea- 

 suring 20 X 30 C. m., have been dredged, their shape was bulbous 

 and irregular ; recently a specimen of unusual dimensions was 

 brought up with the dredge. It is the largest Australian Sponge 

 hitherto observed by me. 



It is named after Captain Hixon, the President of the Marine 

 Board. 



(1) 0. Schmidt, die Spongien des Adriatischen. Meers 1862. Seite 69. 



(2) J. Boiverbank. Monograph of the British Sponges. (Ray. Society.) 

 Vol. II., p. 354. 



(3) ./. Boiterliank. Monograph of the British Sponges. (Ray. Society.) 

 Vol. III., pi. LXIV. 



(4) 0. Schmidt. Grundziige einer Spongienfaima des Atlantischen Gebietes, 

 1870. Seite 77. 



(5) A. M. Norman. Monograph of the British Sponges, by tlie late 

 J. S. Bowerbank. Ray. Society.) Vol. IV, Supplementary, p. 182. 



