476 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



ing abundant foreign mineral particles. Skeleton may be reduced. 

 then consisting of foreign particles usually held together by a little 

 spongin. but the latter may be absent. 



Genus SPONGELIA Nardo (1834). 



Spongelia Nardo, 1834, p. 714. — O. Schmidt, 1862, p. 2S. — F. E. Schtjlze, 

 1879, pp. 153-154.— Lendenfeld, 1899, pp. 641-649. 



Skeleton distinctly fibrous, always including main fibers, these 

 containing abundant mineral inclusions. Main fibers generally 

 united by connectives but they may be separate and distinct dendritic 

 structures. Connectives generally slenderer than main fibers, with 

 or without mineral inclusions; but in some species with reticular 

 skeleton main fibers and connectives are so much alike as to be 

 scarcely distinguishable. Surface of sponge almost always conulated. 



SPONGELIA FRAGILIS (Montagu), var. FASCICULATA new variety. 



Plate 44, fig. 1. 



Spongia fragilis Montagu, 1818, p. 114. 

 Dy&idea fragilis Johnston, 1842, pp. 187, 251. 

 Spongelia pallescens F. E. Schulze, 1879&, p. 138. 



Two good-sized pieces from Togian Bay, Togian Island, Celebes. 

 One specimen somewhat lamellate below, passing above into a solid 

 cylindrical process 25-30 mm. in diameter that has been cut off; total 

 height, 120 mm. The other is a solid cylindrical branch, tapering to 

 the apex, 25-30 mm. in diameter and 170 mm. long. Quite possibly 

 both pieces belonged to same sponge. The sponge then may be said 

 to be ramose. Numerous oscula, mostly about 3 mm. in diameter, are 

 scattered over one side of the lamellate portion and, what is of some 

 interest, along one side of each cylindrical process. Consistency firm. 

 Surface very dark brown, almost black, interior light in color. 



Conuli about 3 mm. apart and 1 mm. high, not sharp but truncated 

 apically: surface conspicuously depressed between the conuli. There 

 is the usual dermal reticulum formed by narrow fibrous bands radi- 

 ating from the apices of the conuli. Pores actually closed, but it may 

 be seen that they occupy the meshes of this reticulum and measure 

 50-85 [x or thereabouts in diameter. The dermal membrane is smooth, 

 without sand. Parenchyma fairly dense, but besides the main oscular 

 canals there are numerous small canals, y 3 mm. to 1 mm. in diameter, 

 which extend in more or less radially from the surface. There are 

 no subdermal cavities of large size. The flagellated chambers meas- 

 ure 60 by 50 pi to 70 by 6(> [*. The parenchyma contains large num- 

 bers of sperm balls (sponges were taken in November) . 



