SPONGES FROM CXDASTAL BEACHES OF N. 8. WALES — WHITELEGGE. 101 



latter remarks were intended to apply to the single fibres they are 

 probably correct. But a longitudinal section of the specimen 

 bearing the name of Euspongia pikei in Dr. Lendenfeld's hand- 

 writing, and numbered 351, contains dense axial strings of sand 

 grains in each bundle of trellised fibres, and under a low power 

 this character is very peculiar, and would at once arrest the 

 attention of the observer. These foreign bodies are present in 

 every specimen examined ; they appear to be cemented in the 

 spaces of the trellis work and attached to the fibres. Even in 

 specimens that have been washed about on the beach to such an 

 extent as to lose nearly all their external characters, these 

 strings of sand grains are still present. 



There are two examples from Lake Illawarra, and two from 

 Tuggerah Beach, 



HipposPONGiA, Schulze. 



HiPPOSPONGiA EQUINA, var. ELASTicA, Lendenfeld. 



(Plate xii., fig. 22). 



Hippospongia equina, var. elastica, Lendenfeld, Mon. Horny 



Sponges, 1889, p. 307, pi. xvi., fig. 1. 



This species is represented by seven specimens from the follow- 

 ing localities — Botany Bay, Lake Illawarra, and Tuggerah Beach. 



The largest example measures 200 mm. in height, 260 mm. in 

 its greater and 220 mm. in its lesser diameter. 



Hippospongia mollissima, Lendenfeld. 

 (Plate xiii., fig. 23). 

 Hippospongia ynollissima, Lendenfeld, Mon. Horny Sponges, 1889, 

 p 310, pi. xvii,, fig. 13. 

 A single specimen is in the collection from Lake Illawarra. 

 The example is subglobose, about 100 mm. broad and 60 mm. 

 in height. 



Hippospongia canaliculata, var. elastica, Lendenfeld. 



Hipposponqia canaliculata, var. elastica, Lendenfeld, Proc. Linn 



Soc. N.S.W., x., 1886, p. 502; id., Aust. Mus. Cat., xiii. 



. Sponges, 1888, p. 139 ; id., Mon. Horny Sponges, 1889, p 



321, pi. xii , figs. 4-5, pi. xviii., fig. 1, pi. xix., figs. 2, 3, 4, 7 



A single specimen of this variety was obtained at Lake Ilia 



warra. It measures 100 mm. in height and 20 mm. in breadth. 



CosciNODERMA, Carter. 



COSCINODERMA DENSA, Hyatt, Sp. 



(Plate xiii., figs. 24 - 24a). 

 Sponqelia farlovii, var. densa, Hyatt, Mem. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 

 'ii., 4, 1877, p. 536. 

 This species is frequently found on the coast, more especially at 

 Wollongong. There are two examples in the Fisheries donation 

 from Lake Illawarra, and two from Port Stephens. 



