THE FAMILY OF THE DESMACIDINAE. 155 



Litt. Sollas. Ann. and Mag. IV p. 44. 

 Spic. tr°^. (the head spined). 

 tr2. 



tr°. ac. 

 tr. ac. 

 tr°. ac. sp. 

 A (very minute), 

 anc^. 

 Loc. West Africa, lat. 15= S. 



Sollas has arranged this Sponge under Schmidt's Ploca- 

 mia , but as Schmidt does not speak of anchors or bows, 

 it cannot be so. One may be convinced ') that Schmidt 

 has overlooked the anchors , but it is not permissible to 

 arrange new species under this genus when the original 

 of Plocamia 0. S. is not described as possessing anchors ! 

 Although it is very probable that Bowerbank's Ophli- 

 taspongia papilla is a Clathria , yet it cannot be arranged 

 under this genus , because the author does not speak of 

 anchors. The same is the case with Clathria oroides 0. S. 

 As is well known Schmidt does not describe anchors ; I 

 therefore took occasion to ask 1dm if he still possessed a little 

 fragment which he could place at my disposal. Hajspily 

 he did , and was so kind as to send me a specimen. Al- 

 though the Sponge has distinct echinating spicules , it can- 

 not be placed under Clathria^ for I could not find 

 anchors. 



I have found in previous publications several Sponges 

 which I do not know where to place. They are the fol- 

 lowing : 

 oc. Melonnnchora elliptica Crtr. '74. 



Litt. Carter. Ann. a. Mag. XIV p. 212. 



1) Sollas says, and it is very possible that he is right, /,it is just possible 

 that, if present in the other forms, they may have escaped his attention.'" 



Notes from the Leyden Miuseum , Vol. II. 



