Art. VI. — An Alphabetical List of the Genera and 

 Species of Sponges described bij H. J. Carter, Esq., 

 F.R.S., together with a Number of Ills More Important 

 References to those of other AutJtors, with an 

 Introductory Kotice. 



By Arthur Dendy, M. Sc, F.L.S. 



Demonstrator and Assistant Lecturer in Biology in the University of 

 Melbourne. 



[Read June 14, 1888.] 



I. — Introductory Notice. 



Mr. Carter is, and has for a long time, been justly recog- 

 nised as the oldest and most experienced of all those who 

 have made a special study of the sub-kingdom Porifera, or 

 Sponges. 



He produced his lirst paper on the subject, entitled " Notes 

 on the Species, Structure, and Animality of the Freshwater 

 Sponges in the Tanks of Bombay," whilst stationed at 

 Bombay as a surgeon in the army. This paper was published 

 in the " Transactions of the Bombay Medical and Physical 

 Society " of 184^7 (No. 8), and was reprinted in the " Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History (Seiies 2, vol. I) in the 

 following year. The last paper on the subject which appeared 

 from his pen, on a collection of sponges from the Mergui 

 Archipelago, was published only last year in the Journal 

 of the Linnean Society of London, and in the same year 

 he published four other papers in the " Annals and Magazine 

 of Natural History." 



In the forty-one years from 1847 to 1887 (inclusive), Mr. 

 Carter has published no less than 125 papers on sponges, 

 a far greater number than any other author. These papers 

 treat of nearly 800 distinct species of sponges, arranged 

 under over 200 distinct generic names. By far the greater 

 number of these 800 species ai-e described by Mr. Carter for 

 the first time. 



Although both his first and last papers were published 

 elsewhere, it was a very rare exception for Mr. Carter to 

 publish anywhere except in the " Annals and Magazine of 



