ART. 4 



SPONGES OF CALIFOENIA de LAUBENFELS 



13 



The large oxeas are radially placed in the sponge mass and 

 echinate the most of the exterior surface. The sagittal triradiates 

 line the upper cloacal surface. The endosomal triradiates occur 

 frequently in all sizes from the maximum down. The microxeas are 

 located sparsely throughout the sponge. 



Remarks. — A noteworthy feature is the sphincter (glistening 

 white) around the upper end of the cloaca, which latter is often 

 quite a third of the diameter of the entire sponge and reaches nearly 

 to the base. Professor Heath tells of finding specimens exposed at 



Figure o.—Leuconia hcathi (Urban): Spicule varieties, X 300 ; only the termina- 

 tions of the longer oxeas are shown 



low tide, of blowing tobacco smoke at their open oscules, and watch- 

 ing the moderatel}' quick closing by the sphincter. Urban writes of 

 a pore membrane for closing the afferent openings. 



In describing L. aplcalis, Urban fails to cite means whereby it 

 may be distinguished from L. heathi of the same locality; therefore 

 1 consider it a synonym of L. heathi. 



Family LEUCASCIDAE Dendy 

 Genus LEUCETTA Haeckel 



LEUCETTA LOSANGELENSIS (de Laubenfels) 



Leuconia losangelensis de Laubenfexs, 19.'?0, p. 25. 



Holotype.— V.S.N. M. No. 214G3; B.M. No. 29.8.22.40. 

 Type locality. — Laguna Beach, Calif., October, 1925, intertidal, 

 collected by the author. Numerous California specimens were 



