Tivo New Victorian Palceozoic Sponges. 153 



speaks of Protospongia as having cruciform spicules.^ Rauft"- 

 says that in the family of Protospongidpe the thin wall consists 

 of a single layer of Stauractinen, by which he means the same 

 thing, while further on in the same work he says'^ that rudiments 

 of a fifth arm are frequently displayed, and that the question is 

 an open one as to whether pentactins were not universally 

 present, the radial arm being broken off. In the present case 

 the radial arm can be traced inwards at any rate for more than 

 twice the diameter of the other rays, so that the term rudi- 

 mentary would hardly apply in the case of this single spicule. 

 Whether all the spicules were of this nature is a point on which 

 the specimen as a whole throws no light. 



Skeleton spicules of the first and second order are present, and 

 tlie spaces which they enclose are oblong in form, their length 

 being about one-and-a-half times their width. The smaller inter- 

 spaces are crowded with a confused network of flesh spicules, 

 many of which are cruciform, while of others the form cannot 

 be clearly made out. 



The species may be readily distinguished from all others of 

 which I can find a record by the oblong character of the mesh- 

 work. In addition it differs from P. retiailata., mihi, from 

 Bendigo by its general shape. 



Locality. — Lancefield. Probably Lower Ordovician. Found 

 by Mr. G. B. Pritchard, to whom I am indebted for the 

 opportunity of examining the specimen. 



Stephaneila (?) maccoyi, n. sp. (PI. XIV., Figs. 4, 5). 



Form of the sponge an elongate oval. Spicules in the form 

 of oxea, generally straight but occasionally curved, thicker in 

 the middle and gently tapering to a point at each end. Arranged 

 ill a radiating manner. Anchoring spicules doubtfully preserved, 

 and if present showing that the longer axis was the vertical one. 

 Flesh spicules not observed. Height about 60 mm. Breadth 

 about 30 mm. 



1 Bi-it. Mus. Cat. Fossil Spon(,'es, lsS3, p. 129. Palajontographical Soc, 1888, vol. xli., 

 p. 105. 



2 Palseontographica, vol. xl., 1893, p. 187. 



3 /6irf, p. 235. 



