SPONGES FROM COASTAL BEACHES OF N. S. "WALES — WHITELEGGE. 93 



I failed to find a single styli in situ, but observed two or three in 

 a mass of spicules obtained by boiling a piece of the sponge in 

 nitric acid. 



Megascleres — (a) Slightly curved oxea, either abruptly pointed 

 or tapering gradually from the middle. Size — Variable, from 25 

 to 0-35, by 0*007 to 0*012 mm. (b) Strongyla curved or sinuous. 

 Size— From 0-5 to 1-5, by 0-003 to 0-006 mm. 



Two well preserved specimens were obtained at Lake Illawarra. 



CiocALYPTA, Bowerbank. 



CiocALYPTA COMPRESSA, Carter, sp. 



(Plate xi., fig. 16). 



Leucophlceus compressa, Carter, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (5), xii., 



1883, p. 324, pi. xiv., fig. 16. 

 Giocalypta compressa, Dendy, Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict., (n.s.), ix., 

 1897, p. 240. 

 Two specimens were obtained at Lake Illawarra. They agree 

 with published descriptions. A few of the larger oxea are, how- 

 ever, much stouter than in Dendy's example (R.N. 961), and 

 measure 0-4 by 001 4 mm. 



HORNY SPONGES. 



Order MONOCERATINA. 



Family AULENID^. 



AuLENA, LenrUnfeld. 



AuLENA gigaxtea, var. mickopora, Lendenfeld. 



Aulena gigantea, var. niicropora, Lendenfeld, Proc. Linn. Soc. 



N.S.W., X., 1886, p. 849; id., Aust. Mus. Cat., xiii., Sponges, 



1888, p. 232; id., Mon. Horny Sponges, 1889, p. 100, pi. ix., 



fig- 2- 

 Three beach-worn examples of this variety were obtained at 



Tuggerah Beach, and two from Port Jackson. 



Family SPONGID^. 

 Sub-family EUSPONGIN^. 

 Chalinopsilla, Lendenjeld. 

 Chalinopsilla impar. Carter, sp. 

 Dactylia impar. Carter, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (5), xv., 1885, p. 309. 

 Chalinopsilla impar, Lendenfeld, Mon. Horny Sponges, 1889, p. 

 146, pi. i., fig. 9, pi. iii., fig. 12. 

 Several examples are hesitatingly referred to this species. The 

 branches are thinner and broader than in examples from Port 

 Phillip. The main fibres, however, are filled with the same kind 

 of large isolated sand grains. 



The specimens were obtained at Lake Illawarra. 



