288 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Family DESMACIDONTDiE. 



Sub-family ECTYONIN^. 

 Clathria frondosa, Lendenfeld. 

 Aiitheroclialina Jrondos-A, Lendenfeld. 



The exhibited specimen of this species (No. 321) agrees with 

 the tigure, and also with the description, and is identical with the 

 example from the British Museum. The description of this species 

 is very deficient, as regards the spicules, and the locality is wrong. 

 According to the register this specimen was purchased from the 

 late J. F. Bailey, of Melbourne, and is probably from Western 

 Australia. A longitudinal section of the sponge exhibits a series 

 of main fibres about 0-1 to 015 mm. thick; these give off on 

 either side a number of secondaries, which are gracefully curved 

 outwards, and end at the surface. The main and secondaries are 

 joined by numerous slender connecting fibres ; these are equal in 

 length to the larger spicules, and have from one to four spicules 

 in a row. All the fibres are echinated by minutely-spined styli, 

 with blunt and often spiny apices. The fibres consist of stout 

 curved styli, stout strongyla, and numerous slender oxea and styli 

 are scattered in the ground substance. The horny matter invest- 

 ing the fibres is not very marked, except in the stout primaries. 



Megascleres — (a) Stout curved styli 03 mm. long and 002 mm. 

 thick ; (b) curved strongyla 25 mm. by 02 mm. ; (c) slender 

 styli and oxea, 25 mm. long and 0-008 mm, in diameter; (d) 

 minutely spined echinating styli, with blunt spinose apices, and 

 often somewhat swollen at the base, 0'06 to 009 in length, and 

 O'OOS in diameter. 



No. 329 appears in the collection as Antherochalina frondosa, 

 Lendenfeld, with the manuscript name of A. levis. This form is 

 identical with Beniera dendi/i, VVhitelegge. 



