Fauna von Süd-Afrika. 563 



to the Support of tlie sponge by meaiis of the outer chitiiious layer, 

 distinct from one another, witli one aperture or with several; the 

 aperture or apertures at the side of the g-erainule in its natural 

 Position; foraminal tubule or tubules short and straight or long- and 

 curved. sometimes bending down in such a way that tlieir distal 

 aperture is in contact witJi the supi)ort of the sponge ; the gemmule 

 spicules separated into two layers by an empty space; the inner 

 layer one spicule thick, Ij'ing in close contact with the inner 

 <;hitinous coat of the gemmule, to which it is parallel; the outer 

 layer sometimes several spicules thick, parallel to the inner one, its 

 spicules fastened together in an outer chitinous coat in wiiich dark 

 granules are sometimes present. 



Localities. India: Bombay town (Carter); Igatpuri Lake, 

 Western Ghats, Bombay Presidency (Annandale). Africa: E. 

 Umhloti, near Verulam, Natal (Weber). 



The differences between the Indian and the African examples 

 of the species are of no great importance, being slighter than those 

 frequently found, in some species, in sponges from ditferent ponds 

 in the same locality. The most definite of them is that the gemmule 

 spicules are as a rule biunter and larger in the Natal specimens; 

 but even this is not a constant cliaracter, The following measure- 

 ments are derived from an examination of the spicules of several 

 sponges from India as well as the type specimen and of several of 

 Prof. Weber's specimens from S. Africa: 



S. Africa Bombay Presidency 



Free spicules 0,068 X 0,0035 mm 0,06 X 0,0025 mm 



Ol 1 . -1 /0.228X0,012 \ Aooix/nnn-- 



Skeleton spicules J 0'>v'Onnfi 0,334 X 0,00 <o 



i 0,08X0,006 0,0346X0,008 



Oemmule spicules ^o,028XO;004 0,044 





0.0046 



Spomjilla homhayensis is closely allied to tliree other species found 

 in Africa and Asia, namely S. rousseletii Kirkpatrick ^), S. suniatrana 

 Weber ^), and S. indica Annandale. ^) In S. rousseletii, however, the 

 gemmules do not appear to be adherent and tliere are no free 



1) In: Proc. zool. Soc. London, 1906, Vol. 1, p. 223. 



2) In: Zool. Ergebn. Nieder!. Ost-Indien, Vol. 1, p. 38. 



3) In: Eec. Ind. Mus., Vol. 2, p. 25. 



