DESCKIPTIONS 



OF 



SOUTH AFRICAN SPONGES 



BY 



E. KIRKPATEICK, F.Z.S., 



BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY). 



:o;- 



Dr. J. D, F. Gilchrist, Government Biologist^ of Cape Town, 

 has recently sent to the British Museum a collection of Sponges 

 dredged by him off the coasts of Cape Colony and Natal from 

 depths ranging from 13 to 300 fathoms- Most of the specimens 

 were preserved in formalin, but some were dried. All the wet 

 specimens have been transferred to alcohol. By the kind permis- 

 sion of Professor E- Ray Lankester. their description has been 

 entrusted to me. This collection contains several new and in- 

 teresting forms, and this is not surprising, seeing how little has 

 hitherto been done towards w^orking out the Sponge Fauna' of 

 South Africa. 



In the present paper the Hexactinellida and Tetractinellida 

 Choristida are described. 



Below is a list of species : — 



HEXACTINELLIDA. 



Family RossellidaB. 



1. Bhabdocalyptus plumodigitatus. Kirkpatrick. 



2. Crateromorpha lankesteri, j*p. n. 



B 2 



