246 



RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



of over six hundred specimens yielded seventy-one species, ten of 

 which were described as new. The commercial class of sponge is 

 represented by twelve species and varieties, seven or eight of 

 which may be regarded as having an economic value and belong 

 to the genera Euspongia and Hippospo7igia. The most important 

 economically is Hifpospongia illawarra, Whitl., "being quite 

 equal, if not superior, to many of the kinds used for domestic 

 purposes." The work necessitated the preparation of two hundred 

 and fifty microscopic sections, as well as the macroscopic and 

 microscopic re-examination of one hundred and twenty specimens 

 already in the Museum. 



The investigation of these sponges again brought under Mr. 

 Whitelegge's notice the chaotic condition of the Lendenfeldian 

 types, a most regretable state of things when we remember that 

 this collection is supposed to be one of the chief, if not the chief 

 authority, for Australian Sponge nomenclature. A summary of 

 the results arrived at by Mr. Whitelegge during his examination 

 of Lendenfeld's types deposited in this Museum, is as follows : — 

 Eighty-nine species and varieties were examined, and forty-three 

 (nearly half!) were found to be wrongly or insufficiently diagnosed, 

 or deducting the Horny Sponges, which are much less likely to 

 error in the diagnosis of the fibres, the numbers are thus : — 



An example of one of the most beautiful of known Sponges, 

 Venus' Flower Basket ( Euplectella aspergilhim, Owen), from the 

 Philippines, was presented by Mr. W. Cruickshank; and two 

 specimens in alcohol of the second species, E. imjjerialis, Ijiraa, 

 from the Bay of Agu, Japan, were given by Mr. Tokichi Nishi- 

 kawa, of the Imperial Fishery Bureau, Tokio; with six examples 

 of the Glass-rope Sponges ( Hyalonema apertum, Schulze, and H. 

 sieboldii, Gray), from Japan also, by Mr. S. Koaze. 



It is of some importance to note that a commercial sponge 

 exists at Manahiki, or Humphrey Island, Euspongia irregularis, 

 var. pertusa, examples having been presented by the Directors of 

 the Pacific Islands Company, of this city. Amongst the specimens 



