464 Records of the Indian Museum, [ Vor, aL; 
are well preserved in spirit and had evidently reached their full or 
about their full development, on the whole bear out what I have 
said in the paper cited on the possible disappearance of the nodular 
amphiasters in certain phases of the species. 
Family DESMACIODONIDAE. 
Subfamily ECTYONINAE. 
Rhabderemia prolifera, sp. nov. 
(Plate xxxiv ig. 3°) 
The sponge forms an excessively thin film, much less than 1 
mm, thick, and coats the burrows of Cliona in dead coral. | Its 
surface bears numerous small rounded buds, each of which con- 
G 
las 
Fic. 3.—Spicules of Rhabderemia prolifera, sp. nov. 
tains in its centre a particle of calcareous matter. In dried speci- 
mens the surface is hispid, but this character may be artificial. 
The apertures are very small and cannot be detected with cer- 
tainty in dried specimens. ‘There is a very thin, colourless basal 
membrane. Owing to the manner of growth, specimens extracted 
from the coral by the use of acid often appear to be turned com- 
pletely inside out, or else to contain large irregular cavities in 
their interior ; both appearances are easily explained if the small 
size of the chambers occupied by the sponge is remembered, 
and also its own filmy form. The masses that seem to be inside 
out are merely hollow membranes that have lined the walls of small 
chambers of corresponding form and size and the surface exposed 
when the coral is dissolved away is the basal surface of the sponge 
that was in contact with the wall, while the existence of rela- 
tively large spaces of irregular shape in masses in which the true 
