XIV. Revision of the North American Porifer^ ; with Remarks 

 UPON Foreign Species. Part I. 



By Alpheus Hyatt. 



Read November 18, 1874. 



\ HE series of Memoirs, which the following introduces, was undertaken in order to pre- 

 pare a catalogue of the Porifemo in the Museum of the Boston Society of Natural History. 

 It was found, however, that nothing less than an accurate study of all the forms which 

 could be obtained from all the neighboring Museums would serve to throw light upon the 

 subject. The principal merit of these Memoirs will consist in the completeness of the list of 

 species from Florida which were gathered by Dr. Palmer. 



This collection enabled the author to revise the only work which has yet been issued upon 

 the sponges of Florida, " Spongiaires de la Mere Cara'ibe, " and to identify with ajiproxi- 

 mate exactitude the majjority of the numerous species therein described. The discovery of 

 the rich and varied poriferous fiiuna of Florida compensates for the hopeless confusion which 

 has been momentarily caused in the minds ot spongologists by the careless descriptions and 

 imperfect figures which fill its pages. These deficiencies will irritate the mind of every 

 reader, but it should not be forgotten that we owe to the authors some acknowledgment 

 for their patience in collecting and describing so many new forms, whatever we may think 

 of the al^ility displayed in their subsequent attempts at systematic work. 



The collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, containing the types of Schmidt's 

 work upon " Spongien Fauna d. Atlantischen Gebietes " have been placed at my disjjosal 

 by Mr. Alexander Agassiz. The fine collection at New Haven of New England and Florida 

 sponges has been sent to me without reservation by Prof. A. E. Verrill. Many smaller 

 collections, containing many valuable forms, have also been generously loaned. Among 

 these are especially worthy of mention, the collections of the Peabody Academy in Salem, of 

 Prof. Rice of Middletown, of Mr. R. F. Schor of Evansville, Ind., and of C. J. Maynard of 

 Newton, Mass. 



Order KERATOSA. 



The characteristics of this order are more clearly defined than those of any other among 

 the class Porifera, so far as the skeleton is concerned. It is therefore very curious to ob- 

 serve that the smaller divisions are here more difficult to define, tlie families and genera 

 being especially close in their affinities. The order is strictly limited by most authors to 

 those forms which have only keratose fibres and do not possess spicules, j^roperly so called ; 

 i. e., spicules developed within the integument or internal sarcode. Foreign matter and 

 spicules of other sponges are frequently found in the different jjarts of the sponge mass, 

 but they have been always introduced from without. The variation of form is very great. 



(3'J9) 



