﻿6P0NGITDA. 
  387 
  

  

  HIRCINIIDJE. 
  

  

  Schulze, 
  Zeitsch. 
  wiss. 
  Zool. 
  xxxii. 
  p. 
  594. 
  

  

  12. 
  Hircinia 
  horrens. 
  

  

  ? 
  Spongelia 
  horrens, 
  Selenha, 
  Zeiisch. 
  wiss. 
  Zool. 
  xvii. 
  p. 
  5G6. 
  

  

  Differs 
  from 
  Selcnka's 
  description 
  in 
  the 
  pale 
  colonr 
  (dull 
  yellow 
  

   or 
  putty-colour) 
  of 
  the 
  spougo 
  as 
  a 
  whole 
  and 
  the 
  pale 
  brownish 
  

   colour 
  of 
  the 
  sarcode 
  ; 
  the 
  former 
  is 
  perhaps 
  duo 
  to 
  the 
  absence 
  from 
  

   the 
  dermis 
  of 
  the 
  dark 
  bodies 
  described 
  as 
  nuclei. 
  The 
  fibres 
  are 
  

   closely 
  reticulate 
  in 
  the 
  conuli 
  and 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  dermis 
  ; 
  in 
  other 
  

   parts 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  homogeneous, 
  but 
  of 
  a 
  ceratinous 
  appearance 
  ; 
  the 
  

   diameter 
  of 
  the 
  fibres 
  is 
  •042 
  to 
  '088 
  millim. 
  (Selenka 
  gives 
  "07 
  to 
  

   •15). 
  The 
  conuli 
  are, 
  as 
  in 
  Selenka's 
  specimen, 
  about 
  5 
  to 
  10 
  millim. 
  

   apart, 
  but 
  not 
  so 
  prominent 
  as 
  most 
  of 
  those 
  in 
  that 
  specimen. 
  The 
  

   specimen 
  is 
  an 
  irregular 
  lobate 
  mass 
  growing 
  over 
  some 
  bottom 
  mate- 
  

   rial, 
  and 
  is 
  itself 
  much 
  overgrown 
  by 
  a 
  sponge 
  (lotrochota), 
  a 
  Didem- 
  

   nid 
  Ascidian, 
  and 
  a 
  creeping 
  Alcyonarian 
  {CaUipodium). 
  This 
  latter 
  

   tact 
  may 
  account 
  for 
  the 
  pale 
  colour, 
  which 
  is 
  perhaps 
  owing 
  to 
  a 
  

   sickly 
  condition 
  produced 
  by 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  other 
  animals 
  obscuring 
  

   the 
  pores 
  ; 
  and 
  indeed 
  an 
  orange 
  colour 
  in 
  one 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  

   itself 
  seems 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  local 
  death. 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  

   Selenka's 
  species 
  may 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  Aphjsina. 
  The 
  specimen 
  is 
  

   preserved 
  in 
  spirit. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Prince 
  of 
  Wales 
  Channel, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  7 
  fms. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  Bass's 
  Strait 
  (Selenka) 
  ? 
  

  

  13. 
  Hircinia, 
  sp. 
  

  

  Three 
  specimens 
  in 
  spirit, 
  iucrusting 
  in 
  growth 
  ; 
  colour 
  flesh- 
  

   tint. 
  Tlie 
  primary 
  fibres 
  are 
  almost 
  full 
  of 
  foreign 
  bodies 
  in 
  the 
  

   Torres-Straits 
  specimen, 
  less 
  often 
  so 
  in 
  the 
  Port-Jackson 
  one, 
  and 
  

   are 
  about 
  -18 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter 
  ; 
  the 
  secondaries 
  at 
  acute 
  angles 
  to 
  

   the 
  primaries, 
  generally 
  free 
  from 
  foreign 
  bodies, 
  and 
  about 
  •OG 
  

   millim. 
  in 
  diameter. 
  

  

  I 
  had 
  referred 
  this 
  to 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  Selenka's 
  which 
  I 
  now 
  see 
  has 
  

   been 
  referred 
  to 
  AplysiUa 
  by 
  Prof. 
  F. 
  E. 
  Schulze. 
  I 
  hope 
  to 
  de- 
  

   scribe 
  it 
  more 
  fully 
  at 
  a 
  future 
  time. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  West 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  7 
  fms. 
  ; 
  Port 
  Jackson, 
  0-5 
  fms. 
  

  

  DYSIDEID^. 
  

   Gray, 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  1867, 
  p. 
  511. 
  

  

  Gray 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  first 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  distinctive 
  name 
  to 
  

   this 
  family, 
  although 
  Bowerbank 
  (Mon. 
  Brit. 
  Spong. 
  i. 
  p. 
  211), 
  in 
  

   1864, 
  makes 
  Dysidea 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  a 
  distinct 
  suborder, 
  to 
  which 
  he 
  

   gives 
  no 
  name. 
  Marshall 
  (" 
  Ueber 
  Dysideidcn 
  und 
  Phoriospongien," 
  

   Zeitsch. 
  wiss. 
  Zool. 
  xxxv. 
  p. 
  92) 
  employs 
  the 
  same 
  name 
  ; 
  and 
  as 
  hi3 
  

   arguments 
  for 
  the 
  retention 
  of 
  the 
  f/eneric 
  term 
  Di/sidea 
  instead 
  of 
  

   Spongelia 
  appear 
  to 
  mo 
  to 
  be 
  valid, 
  it 
  seems 
  desirable 
  to 
  retain 
  the 
  

   old 
  familv 
  name, 
  which 
  is 
  derived 
  from 
  it, 
  in 
  preference 
  to 
  Spon- 
  

  

  2c2 
  

  

  