SPONGES FROM COASTAL BEACHES OF N. S. WALES — 'WHITELEGGE. 73 



This form is probably identical with Chalina, sp. (b) of Ridley 

 and Dendy.^^ 



Of this species there are twenty specimens from Botany Bay, 

 and twenty-seven from Lake lUawarra, and fragments from almost 

 all the other localities enumerated. 



Ohalina cylindrica, Lendenfeld, sp. 

 Dactylochalina cylindrica, Lendenfeld, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 

 X., 1886, p. 570; id., Zool. Jahrb., ii , 1887, p. 812; id., Aust. 

 Mus. Cat. xiii., Sponges, 1888, p. 101. 



Several examples of this species were obtained at Tuggerah 

 Beach. 



The spicules measure about 0'085 mm. in length, and 0-002 mm. 

 in diameter ; they are abundant in the ground substance as well 

 as in the fibres. 



ChALINA 1 SPICULIFERA, sp. nOV. 



(Plate X., fig. 5). 



Sponge digitate, with usually a basal plate and a short cylin- 

 drical peduncle ; the branches are numerous, elongate, round, or 

 compressed, dichotomously divided and frequently anastomosing. 

 In two examples the branches are round and somewhat nodular, 

 and from 5 to 8 mm. in thickness. A third specimen exhibits 

 flattened branches, chiefly in one plane, with frequent fusions in 

 the lower half of the sponge. In the latter form the oscula are 

 almost wholly confined to the lateral margins of the branches ; 

 they are 1 mm. or less in diameter, very prominent, and give an 

 irregular appearance to the margins when viewed in profile. In 

 the cylindrical form the oscula are either scattered or seriate ; 

 they are not prominent, and generally under 1 mm. in diameter. 

 Texture firm, tough, compressible but not very elastic. Surface 

 even and finely reticulate, to the unaided eye appearing smooth, 

 but very harsh to the touch. Colour when dry, yellowish stone. 



Skeleton with rather wide and usually angular mesh ; main 

 fibres stoutish, frequently branched, and gracefully curving out- 

 wards from the centre to the surface ; they are cored with a dense 

 axial string of oxeote spicules. The stouter secondary fibres rarely 

 have more than two or three spicules in a row ; the rest of the 

 secondaries and the dermal reticulation consist of very slender 

 unispicular fibres. The spicules, as a rule, are placed end to end, 

 and shortly overlap each other at the points ; some of the longer 

 fibres have as many as six spicules thus arranged. 



The dermal skeleton is renieroid, with a more or less triangular 

 mesh, formed by the union of three spicules, which meet and 



15 Ridley and Dendy— Chall. Rep., Zool., xx., 1887, p. 28, 



