BY R. VON LENDENFELD, PH.D. 155 



I consider the genus Dysidea as characterised by the following 

 points : — 



(1). Transparent hyaline Mesoderm without foreign bodies in the 

 ground substance. (1) 



(2). The canal system and ciliated chambers of Spongelia as 

 described by Schulze. 



(3). Foreign bodies forming all the fibres. 



It can of course not be decided by the description whether 

 Carter's specimens belong to the genus Dysidea in this sense or not. 



The sponge described by Carter as Spongelia stellidermata (2) 

 is probably identical with some specimens in my collection which, 

 however, do not belong to the genus Spongelia but to another 

 Family (3), that of the Spongidse. I have named this Sponge 

 Cacospongia gracilis (4) but it may appear necessary to establish 

 a new genus for it At all events it does not belong to the genus 

 Spongelia Schulze, who was the first to establish a diagnosis on a 

 rarely reliable and scientific basis (5). 



Carteriospongia caliciformis (6) is described from a dry specimen 

 so that no opinion can be hazarded at to its real position in the 

 system. 



(1) F. E. Schulze. Untersuchungen iiber den Ban und die Entwickel- 

 vung der Spongien. Die Gattung Spongelia Zeitschrift ftir wissenschaf tliche 

 Zoologie, Band 32, Seite 111 ff. 



(2) H. J. Garter. Descriptions of Sponges from the neighbourhood of 

 Port Phillip Heads, South Australia. Annals and Magazine of Natural 

 History, Ser. 5, Vol. XV., p. 219. 



{ 3) G. Vosmaer. Studies on Sponges I. Mittheilungen der Zoologischen 

 Station in Neapel, Band IV., Seite 445. (Vosmaer's classification is 

 identical with mine, which I arrived at independently, and which is there- 

 fore very likely to be correct. ) 



(4) In 1883, I identified the Sponges, from several Museums, and I 

 supplied several with names, the diagnoses of which remained in schedule. 

 The Sponges referred to can be seen in the Museum of the South Australian 

 Institute at Adelaide, 



(5) F. E. Schulze. L.c. 



(6) //. /. Garter. L.c, p. 221. 



