1915.) N. ANNANDALE: Notes on Freshwater Sponges. 175 
of the Indian Peninsula and at Zanzibar off the East Coast of 
Africa respectively, while S. botryoides, which may also be related, 
has been found only in New South Wales. 
Key to the known species of PECTISPONGILLA. 
I. Skeleton-spicules quite smooth. 
Free microscleres of two types: (a) 
minute, smooth, rhomboidal, and (0) 
moderately large, slender, spindle- 
shaped, bearing scattered spines .. P. aurea. 
2. Skeleton-spicules rough or spiny. 
A. Free microscleres of two types: (@) 
amphioxous, spindle-shaped, some- 
what closely spined, and (b) sub- 
spherical with scattered tubercles. P. stellifera. 
B. Free microscleres less distinctly of 
two kinds, spindle-shaped or cylin- 
drical, amphioxous or truncated, 
all definitely spiny .. P. subspinosa. 
Pectispongilla aurea, Annandale. 
(Fig. 3). 
1909. Rec. Ind. Mus., III, p. 103, pl. xii, fig. 2. 
tot1. Faun. Brit Ind., Freshw. Sponges, etc., p. 106, fig. 20. 
In describing this species I neglected to observe the free 
microscleres, or rather confused them with immature macroscleres 
and with the skeletons of diatoms. ‘The free spicules are actually 
of two kinds: (1) small, slender, straight or nearly straight, 
spindle-shaped, sparsely spiny amphioxi on an average about 
0084 mm. long, and (2) minute, smooth, relatively thick am- 
phioxi rhomboidal in outline and on an average about 0°024 mm. 
long. The former (1) are extremely scarce, the latter (2) abun- 
dant. Both types of spicules are confined to the flesh of the 
sponge. P. aurea is only known from Tenmalai on the western 
side of the Western Ghats in Travancore. 
Pectispongilla stellifera, sp. nov. 
(Fig. 4). 
The sponge apparently forms thin films encrusting bodies 
such as the fibres of cocoanut-husks that have fallen or been 
thrown into the water, but my specimens are dry and not in 
very good condition. They have a brownish colour. The skele- 
ton resembles that of P. aurea, but is rather stouter. 
The macroscleres are slender and sharply pointed; they 
have minute rounded spines or tubercles scattered almost uni- 
