﻿350 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  genus. 
  It 
  hag 
  a 
  strong 
  bi'oad 
  base, 
  and 
  tapers 
  rapidly 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  ; 
  

   in 
  view, 
  however, 
  of 
  its 
  bad 
  condition, 
  I 
  reserve 
  further 
  details 
  until 
  

   better 
  specimens 
  are 
  obtained. 
  

   Hah. 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  10 
  fms. 
  

  

  26. 
  Callipodium 
  australiense. 
  

  

  Incrustation 
  very 
  thin, 
  viz. 
  '25 
  to 
  -5 
  millim., 
  smooth, 
  varying 
  

   from 
  dark 
  flesh-colour 
  to 
  dull 
  crimson. 
  Forming 
  either 
  elongated 
  

   flattened 
  stolons, 
  3 
  to 
  6 
  millim. 
  broad, 
  or 
  more 
  concentrated 
  in 
  form, 
  

   Verrucse 
  2 
  to 
  3 
  millim. 
  apart 
  ; 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  contracted 
  so 
  much 
  as 
  

   to 
  present 
  mere 
  monticular 
  swellings 
  "5 
  millim. 
  high, 
  shoAviiig 
  no 
  

   trace 
  of 
  octoradiate 
  segmentation, 
  or 
  they 
  may 
  form 
  subcylindrical 
  

   columns 
  1 
  to 
  1"5 
  millim. 
  high, 
  the 
  octoradiate 
  star 
  occupying 
  their 
  

   extremities, 
  the 
  walls 
  of 
  the 
  columns 
  being 
  decidedly 
  grooved 
  longitu- 
  

   dinally 
  along 
  the 
  lines 
  of 
  the 
  segments. 
  Basal 
  diameter 
  of 
  fully 
  

   contracted 
  verrucae 
  '6 
  to 
  1*0 
  millim., 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  expanded 
  forms 
  

   just 
  described 
  I'O 
  to 
  1-25 
  millim. 
  ; 
  apical 
  diameter 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  

   about 
  1 
  millim. 
  Spicules 
  of 
  stolon 
  : 
  — 
  (i.) 
  Fusiform, 
  generally 
  taper- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  somewhat 
  slender 
  ends, 
  beset 
  with 
  numerous 
  ( 
  about 
  ten) 
  

   whorls 
  of 
  prominent 
  tubercles 
  with 
  rounded 
  and 
  minutely 
  tubercu- 
  

   late 
  extremities, 
  the 
  maximum 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  tubercles 
  being 
  about 
  

   •03 
  millim., 
  diameter 
  -018 
  millim. 
  ; 
  five 
  to 
  six 
  tubercles 
  in 
  each 
  of 
  

   the 
  central 
  whorls 
  : 
  average 
  maximum 
  size 
  of 
  spicules 
  "42 
  by 
  '1 
  

   millim. 
  (including 
  tubercles), 
  (ii.) 
  Fusiform, 
  tuberculate, 
  the 
  tu- 
  

   bei'cles 
  placed 
  mainly 
  on 
  two 
  opposite 
  sides 
  (i. 
  e. 
  in 
  one 
  plane) 
  ; 
  the 
  

   ends 
  of 
  the 
  spicules 
  are 
  blunt 
  and 
  strongly 
  tuberculate 
  ; 
  the 
  tubercles 
  

   are 
  about 
  ten 
  in 
  number 
  down 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  spicule 
  (some 
  much 
  

   smaller 
  ones 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  faces 
  completing 
  the 
  whorls), 
  but 
  are 
  -042 
  

   by 
  '035 
  to 
  -042 
  millim. 
  in 
  average 
  maximum 
  height 
  and 
  breadth 
  

   respectively 
  ; 
  rough 
  and 
  often 
  branched 
  ; 
  average 
  maximum 
  size 
  of 
  

   spicule 
  -52 
  by 
  •]4 
  millim. 
  (including 
  tubercles), 
  (iii.) 
  Branched 
  

   spicules, 
  quadri- 
  to 
  multiradiate, 
  the 
  rays 
  either 
  pointed 
  and 
  smooth 
  

   at 
  ends, 
  or 
  expanding 
  into 
  fungiform 
  terminations 
  ; 
  a 
  few 
  small 
  

   tubercles 
  on 
  sides 
  of 
  arms 
  ; 
  average 
  maximum 
  extension 
  of 
  arms 
  

   about 
  '35 
  millim., 
  diameter 
  of 
  thickest 
  arms 
  or 
  shaft 
  (where 
  present) 
  

   •04 
  to 
  -00 
  miUim. 
  

  

  [The 
  larger 
  of 
  these 
  last 
  forms 
  (iii.) 
  are 
  evidently 
  merely 
  exag- 
  

   gerated 
  forms 
  of 
  (ii,), 
  and 
  these 
  are 
  but 
  unequally 
  developed 
  repre- 
  

   sentatives 
  of 
  (i.).] 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Prince 
  of 
  Wales 
  Channel, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  7 
  fms. 
  ; 
  bottom 
  

   sand. 
  

  

  Obs. 
  This 
  species 
  occurs 
  incrusting 
  a 
  sponge. 
  It 
  differs 
  from 
  

   Verrill's 
  species 
  C. 
  pacificum 
  and 
  aureuin 
  in 
  the 
  superior 
  size 
  and 
  

   more 
  elongate 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  fusiform 
  spicules 
  and 
  tlie 
  smaller 
  relative 
  

   size 
  of 
  their 
  tubercles. 
  No 
  " 
  club 
  " 
  or 
  slender 
  " 
  head 
  " 
  spicules 
  

   observed, 
  as 
  in 
  those 
  species. 
  

  

  