REVISION OF FRESHWATER SPONGES OF SPONGILLIDAE 129 



Gemmoscleres birotulates with a strongly spined cylindrical shaft 

 which abruptly increases in width just below the rotules; rotules 

 distinctly umbonate and of equal size and shape, their margins in- 

 cised into numerous blunt and recurved teeth; length range 55-85 

 M, thickness of shaft 3-4 n, diameter of rotules 23-25 ix. 



Gemmules usually very abundant, scattered throughout skeletal 

 meshwork, and strongly subspherical to ovoid averaging 500-680 y. 

 in diameter; pneumatic layer well developed and granidar, consisting 

 of minute spherical air spaces; gemmoscleres regularly embedded 

 in this coat, their upper rotules rarely protruding through its outer 

 surface; foramen produced into a short and straight tubule. 



Distribution. — Known from India (type locality) and the Philip- 

 pines, probably also occurring in other parts of SE. Asia. 



Color in life. — Recorded as green and pale brown. 



Discussion. — This species has been adequately described by 

 previous authors, and the present studies did not reveal additional 

 criteria for discussion. In all slides examined, however, its gemmo- 

 scleres are slightly but distinctly imequal in length, more or less 

 forming two length series. This observation is in contrast to the 

 statements of all previous authors, who described the gemmoscleres 

 of this species as homogeneous, thus aiding its separation from other 

 species of this genus with more conspicuous length differences of their 

 gemmoscleres. 



Kirkpatrick (1906, p. 226), in comparing this species with his 

 "variety" brouni of E. plumosa, found the shafts of the gemmoscleres 

 in the Indian sponges uniformly cylindrical. However, in oiu- material 

 studied the great majority of gemmosclere shafts distinctly increase 

 in thickness just below the rotules, just as in other related species. 

 It is obvious, therefore, that this criterion cannot be considered of 

 specific importance. 



Dosilia palmeri (Potts, 1885) 



Plate 11,. figures 6-9 



Meyenia plumosa var. palmeri Potts, 1885, p. 587; 1887, p. 234. — Kellicott, 1891, 



p. 103. 

 Dosilia palmeri Annandale, 1911c, p. 111. — Smith, 1921, p. 17. — Gee, 1932c, 



p. 28.— Arndt, 1933a, p. 18.— Rioja, 1940a, p. 187.— Eshleman, 1950, p. 



40.— Penney, 1960, p. 39. 



Material. — Slides of type (USNM no. 5419) and of a specimen 

 in Gee's collection (no. 54286). 



Description. — Sponge, according to Potts (1887), forming large 

 spherical masses on branches of trees; surface not reliably observed, 

 appearance of sponge rather feathery. Skeleton apparently of a simi- 

 lar construction of that of the foregoing species. Consistency soft 

 and very fragile. 



