by r. von lendenfeld, ph.d. 567 



Skeleton of the Pulpa. 



The soft tissue in the meshes contains besides scattered spicules 

 of both the preceding kinds, also small clusters of very slender 

 and gracefully curved ac. ac. sp. (fig. 15.) The clusters of these 

 are found scattered irregularly throughout the soft tissue, and 

 comprise from 7 to 12 spicules crossing each other in a perfectly 

 irregular manner (fig. 16.) 



These spicules attain a length of 0-2 mm., and a thickness of 

 C*003 mm. They bear short and sharp spines (fig. 15.) 



Histology. 



In the soft tissue of the internal meshes, extraordinary granular 

 cells are met with in great abundance (fig 17.) These are highly 

 colourable and probably homologous to those elements, which I have 

 described of Aphrodite Nardorus. (1) There yfQ find likewise a 

 great number of similar cells of a very peculiar appearance in the 

 walls of the lacunes which belong to the inhalent system. 



The shape of these elements in Raphyrus Hixonii, is subject to 

 very great variations. The cells are spherical, about 90% of them, 

 or irregularly lobate, 2% ; or spindle-shaped, 6% ; or also show 

 indications of dividing as represented in the figure, 2% (fig. 17.) A. 

 nucleus is indicated by a more transparent patch in the centre, but 

 not clearly visible. In coloured specimens the whole cell, or rather 

 the granules take up so much colouring matter, that the whole 

 structure is rendered intransparent. The reason that the nucleus 

 in the fresh state and in spirit specimens appears light and trans- 

 parent, is that the substance of the nucleus is free from gramiles. 



The granules are large and refract the light very strongly. The 

 differences in shape between these cells, lead me to assume that 

 they are a peculiar kind of amoeboid wandering cell. 



(1) R. V. Lendenfcld. A Monograph of the Australian Sponges. Part V. 

 The Auleninre. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of N. S. W. Vol. X., 

 part 3. 



