80 RECOEDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



The megascleres are slightly stouter than in Dendy's example 

 (R.N. 793). They agree in size with the British Museum speci- 

 men of Halichondria incrustans (Reg. 86-12-15-391). 



This species would fall into the genus Lissodendoryx, Topsent. 



A single much worn example was obtained at Tuggerah Beach. 



Clathria, Schmidt. 

 Clathria typica, Cartp.r^ sp. 



Echinonema typica, Carter, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (5), vii., 1881 



p. 378. 

 Echinonema anchoratum, Carter, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (5), vii. 



1881, p. 379. 

 Echinonema Jtabelli/ormis, Carter, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (5), xiv. 



1885, p. 352. 

 Echinonema pectini./o7-mis, Carter, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (5), xiv. 



1885, p. 353. 

 Phakellia ventilabrum, var. australensis, Carter, Ann. Mag. Nat 



Hist., (5), xviii., 1886, p. 379. 

 Clathria tyjnca, Dendy, Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict., (n.s.), viii., 1896 



p. 32. 

 This species has a superficial resemblance to C. australis, Len- 

 denfeld. The specimens from Tuggerah Beach have been compared 

 with several from Port Phillip, and although they differ in habit 

 they agree in their spicular characters. 



The Megascleres are as follows : — (a) Spined styli, 04 to 0*05 

 by 0-007 mm. (6) Smooth styli, 0-2 to 0-25 by 0-004 to 0-006 ram. 

 Microscleres — (a) Small isochelas, 001 2 to 0-014 mm. in length. 

 (b) Curved toxa and toxadragmata. 



Under Echi^ionema anchoratum, Carter, Dr. Lendenfeld des- 

 cribed three varieties.^' In this instance there is no specimen 

 bearing this name in the collection, and there is no locality given 

 under the description. It appears highly probable that E. anchor- 

 atum, Carter, was accepted as an ideal species, around which the 

 three new varieties might be grouped. Throughout the catalogue 

 many such species have been created, which consist solely of a 

 series of varieties, often of forms that have previously been des- 

 cribed as species. 



During the examination of Clathria typica, it was found necessary 

 to compare the types of the varieties of Echinonema anchoratum, 

 var, ramosa; var. dura; and var. lamellosa. The localities, as 

 given in the catalogue, do not agree with the labels ; the latter, 

 in Dr. Lendenfeld's own handwriting, gives Western Australia as 

 the habitat for each of the three forms. The labels are no doubt 

 correct, and the specimens were collected by the late Mr. Bailey, 

 a Victorian naturalist. There is, however, a series of errors in 



17 Lendenfeld— Aust. Mus. Cat. xiii., Sponges, p. 319-320. 



