244 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



identification. The curvature of the ends of the stout oxeote 

 spicule shown in Higgin's drawing appears to be immensely 

 exaggerated, as a rule it is not noticeable. 



R.N. 517 (s. 8, 9 f.; "hair-brown"); 643 (s. 8, 8 f.; "ecru- 

 drab and about the edge maroon-purple, subdued with a wash 

 of brown"); 891 (s. 9); 927 (s. 1); 1101 (x C); 1140 (x). 



Higginsia lunala, Carter. 



Higginsia lunata, Carter, A.M.N.H., November, 1885, p. 358. 



There are three specimens of this sponge in the collection. 

 They are all massive, sessile, rising above into short digitiform 

 processes which sometimes bear vents at their summits. The 

 surface is conulose, with subglabrovs, minutely reticulate dermal 

 membrane between the conuli. The texture is compact but soft 

 and spongy. 



The skeleton is feebly developed, sparse and irregular, con- 

 sisting of very loose bands of spicules trending towards the 

 surface. The megascleres are very long but fairly stout styli and 

 oxea, commonly with irregular ends. There are also numerous 

 very long, slender hair-like spicules which may be young forms 

 of the last or possibly rhaphides. The microscleres are minute 

 fusiform oxea, usually strongly curved, crescent-like ; Carter 

 describes them as microspined, but I can only find the faintest 

 trace of roughening. All the specimens which I have seen are 

 densely charged with pigment granules, which render the sections 

 somewhat opaque. 



R.N. 374 (18 f.; "Slate-brown with greenish tinge"); 589 

 (x, 19 f.; "clove-brown, at base sepia "); 680 (s. 5). 



B.M. sp. 68 {^Higginsia lunata, C." Reg. 86-12-15-138). 



Genus Trachycladus, Carter. 



Axinellicke with oxeote to stylote megascleres and minute 

 spiral microscleres. 



This genus probably includes Lendenf eld's Spirophoi'dla* as 

 Topsent has already indicated, though the type species of that 

 genus, S. digitata, from Port Jackson, appears from the descrip- 

 tion to be quite distinct from the common southern species 

 Trachycladus kevispirulifer. 



* Catalogue of Sponges in the Australian Museum, p. 236. 



