Catalogue of Non-Calcareous Sponges. 243 



Chalina polychotoina, (Esper ?) Cai-ter. 



Chalina polychotonm var. fi-ichotoina, Carter, A.M.N.H., 

 February, 1885, p. 115. 



Chalina polychotonm (with varieties trichotoina, compressa, 

 oculata, robusta, angnlaia, nionilifonnis), Carter, A.M.N.H., 

 October, 1885, pp. 284, 285. 



This common species appears to be extremely variable. It is 

 usually a large sponge divided into long, slender or robust 

 branches of very varying shape, and bearing small, scattered or 

 serial vents. The texture is compressible and resilient, and the 

 colour in spirit yellow or brown. In life the prevailing colour is 

 also brown. The skeleton is a close, more or less rectangular- 

 meshed network of horny tibre, more or less abundantly cored 

 with small slender oxea, which may also be scattered between the 

 fibres. The spicules vary somewhat in size, but are usually about 

 0'06 mm. long. 



Mr. Carter has distinguished a number of form varieties, but 

 it is very doubtful whether these can be maintained. 



As the specimens collected by Mr. Wilson are so numerous I 

 refrain from giving the locality and colour of each individually. 

 Nearly all of which the locality is recorded come from outside 

 the Heads ; one, however, is recorded from Station 9, and one 

 from Sorrento Jetty. The recorded colours range from some 

 shade of brown to " cinnamon-rufous " and " heliotrope-purple." 



R.N. 263; 270; .313; 325; 328; 330; 4U ; 469; 596; 

 724; 786; 873; 1016; 1022; 1032; 1040; 1081 (these are all 

 more or less ordinary forms) ; 52.3 (compressed and flabellate, 

 with finger-like processes) ; 639 ; 640 ; 669 ; 1007 (these have 

 the numerous spicules in the pximary fibres arranged in a 

 markedly plumose fashion, as in Axinellidce) ; 1018 (the arrange- 

 ment of the spicules is very Renieroid, but they are completely 

 imbedded in spongin). 



B.M. d. 63 ("var. nigra" M.S. Reg. 86-12-15-165); d. 64 

 ("var. robusta" Reg. 86-12-15-163); d. 65 ("var. oculata'' Reg. 

 86-12-1.5-154-155); d. 71 ("var. angulata" Reg. 86-12-15-168); 

 d. 72 ("var. conpressa" Reg. 86-12-15-159). 



