210 F. Chapman: 



Order — Tktraotinkllida. 

 Genus — Ecionenia. Bowerhjiuk. 



Ecionema newberyi, McCoy sp. 

 (PI. XVI r., Figs. 1-13). 



Tethya newberyi, McCoy, 1877, Prod. Palaeont. Vict., Dec. 

 v., p. 31, PI. XLVIIL, Fig. 1. 



Observations. — Having recently examined the above type speci- 

 men [9145], I am able to record the presence of typical tetr.ictin- 

 ellid spicules (protriaene), in reference to whicli McCoy remarked' 

 as follows : — " I have not seen any triradiate terminations to 

 ainy of the spicules such as occasionally occur with the simple 

 forms in the recent Tethya, but thej^ are «o brittle that such 

 may yet well be found." Jn liis description, McCoy compares this 

 fossil sponge with Tethya cranium, which species is now removed 

 to the genus Craniella, Schmidt. Among the spicules of the 

 Victorian fossil sponge are numerou>^ micruscleres, which are alj- 

 sent in all the forms of Craniella referred to by Sollas,''' except- 

 ing C. schmidtii. This species alone possesses sigmaispires : the 

 microi-cleres of our fossil, however, are represented, amongst 

 other forms, by the simpler modification, the microstrongyles. 

 The known species of Craniella are distinguished by numerous 

 megaloscleres of the form anatriaene, but these are absent in 

 our specimen. 



With regard to Tethya, the definition of the genus as now 

 restricted and given by Sollas (op. cit. p. 427) is as follows : 



" Tethyidae of more or less spherical form, in which the 

 rhabdus is a strongyloxea. The chamber-system is diplodal." 

 This definition excludes our fossil, since all the oxea are bluntly 

 pointed, in contradistinction to the cylindrical strongylo.xe.i. 



The genui5 with which the Victorian fossil appears to show 

 most agreement, both in regard to form and spicular structure, 

 is Ecionema, which includes at least two specii>s found in 

 southern Australian waters — viz., E. .australiense, Carter sp. ,uul 

 E. bacilliferum, var. robusta. Carter var. 



1 Loc. cit., p. "1. 



•2 Chall. Kep., vol. \\v., ISSS. l{fi)oi-t on tlu' Toti-a<'tiii«lli(la. ]>)>. .-{(i^l. 



