112 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.81 



growing on a rocky coast where they could be stepped on without 

 turning a rock. 



Additional inateTiol examined. — A sponge in the collection of the 

 University of Southern California, from Point Fermin, near San 

 Pedro, Calif., intertidal, April 19, 1924. 



Description. — Shape, massive. Size: The mass in the field was 

 about 20 cm thick and 30 or 40 cm in diameter. Consistency, friable, 

 almost stony hard. Color in life and when preserved, almost white. 

 Oscules, round; diameter, about 1 mm; distance apart, about 8 mm. 

 Pores, abundant, about loO/i, in diameter. Surface, superficially 

 smooth. 



Ectosomal specialization, a dermal membrane ; it is about 10/x thick, 

 fleshy, not detachable, and contains some tangent spicules, but the 

 special ectosomal reticulation so characteristic of this genus is not in 

 evidence. Endosomal structure, densely packed with spicules in con- 

 siderable confusion, with just an indication of basic isodictyal plan. 



FiGDRH 66. — Gelliua edaphus de Laubenfels, X300 



Principal spicules, oxeas (fig. 66, A) ', size, 13ju, by 260/i, to ISyu, by 

 2,70iJL. Microscleres, sigmas (fig. 66, B) ; length, 30ju, to 100/x. 



Remarks. — The nearest relative of this form seems to be Gellius 

 centrangulatus I. Sollas, 1902, from the East Indies, which differs 

 in having very renierid structure and even smaller spicules. Most 

 species of Gellius have much larger spicules than edaphus. G. im- 

 perialis Dendy, 1924, has spicules about the size of those of edaphus 

 but has a very furrowed surface and structure with conspicuous 

 tracts. Most species of Gellius, however, are separated by very 

 narrow margins, and a reviewer with abundant material might be 

 able to carry out extensive synonymy. This might even be regarded 

 in common with perhaps a score of others as being within the range 

 of variation of Gellius flagellifer. 



GELLIUS TEXTAPATINA de Laubenfels 



Gellius textapatina de Laubenfels, 1926, p. 567. 



Holotype.—U.S.^.M. No. 21446; B.M. No. 28.11.6.5. 



Type locality. — The one specimen was in the small collection of 

 Stanford University, date of collection unknown, locality Monterey 

 Bay, Calif. ; estimated depth, 720 meters. 



