﻿396 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  Main 
  skeleton 
  strictly 
  rectangular 
  ; 
  primary 
  fibres 
  '28 
  to 
  -3;") 
  

   millim. 
  apart 
  at 
  surface, 
  secondaries 
  -24 
  to 
  '28 
  millim. 
  ; 
  primaries 
  

   •053 
  to 
  '07 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  spicules 
  2- 
  or 
  3-serial 
  : 
  secondaries 
  

   •035 
  to 
  •OT 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  spicules 
  uniserial 
  ; 
  horny 
  matter 
  

   strong, 
  pale 
  amber-yellow, 
  composing 
  two 
  thirds 
  of 
  the 
  fibre 
  

   in 
  the 
  primary, 
  and 
  five 
  sixths 
  in 
  the 
  secondary 
  fibres. 
  Dermal 
  

   skeleton 
  a 
  strong, 
  usually 
  quadrangular 
  network, 
  tending 
  to 
  be 
  

   rectangular, 
  of 
  similar 
  composition 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  skeleton 
  ; 
  between 
  

   its 
  meshes 
  is 
  intercalated 
  a 
  close 
  angular 
  network 
  of 
  finer 
  and 
  

   jmler 
  uniserially 
  spiculate 
  fibre, 
  •OlS 
  to 
  ^024 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  the 
  

   meshes 
  ^053 
  to 
  -14: 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter. 
  Sarcode 
  pale 
  umber- 
  

   brown, 
  granular. 
  Spicule 
  slightly 
  bent, 
  smooth 
  acerate, 
  tapering 
  

   gradually 
  to 
  sharp 
  points 
  from 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  diameters 
  from 
  ends 
  ; 
  

   size 
  -llo 
  by 
  •OOT 
  millim. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Alert 
  and 
  West 
  Islands, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  7 
  fms. 
  ; 
  bottom 
  

   sand. 
  

  

  Three 
  good 
  and 
  some 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  fragmentary 
  specimens 
  in 
  

   spirit. 
  The 
  two 
  largest 
  are 
  120 
  and 
  115 
  millim. 
  (4|- 
  and 
  4| 
  

   inches) 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  largest 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  two 
  stems, 
  a2)parently 
  

   of 
  independent 
  origin, 
  but 
  one 
  of 
  them 
  attached 
  to 
  and 
  united 
  with 
  

   the 
  other 
  at 
  two 
  points 
  by 
  broad 
  masses 
  of 
  common 
  substance. 
  The 
  

   species 
  is 
  nearly 
  allied 
  to 
  C. 
  subarmic/era, 
  and 
  hardly 
  differs 
  at 
  all 
  

   exteriorly 
  from 
  the 
  smooth 
  form 
  of 
  that 
  species 
  except 
  in 
  its 
  appa- 
  

   rently 
  slight 
  tendency 
  to 
  form 
  branches, 
  but 
  has 
  the 
  spicules 
  of 
  

   about 
  twice 
  the 
  diameter, 
  and 
  much 
  fewer 
  in 
  number 
  in 
  proportion 
  

   to 
  the 
  horny 
  matter, 
  and 
  the 
  network 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  skeleton 
  closer. 
  

  

  It 
  resembles 
  Ohalina 
  moataf/ui, 
  Bowerbank 
  (? 
  Fleming) 
  (Great 
  

   Britain), 
  in 
  the 
  general 
  form 
  and 
  the 
  size 
  and 
  shape 
  of 
  tlie 
  spicules 
  ; 
  

   but 
  the 
  fibre 
  in 
  that 
  s])ecies 
  is 
  less 
  horny 
  and 
  stout, 
  and 
  has 
  but 
  one 
  

   or 
  two 
  series 
  of 
  spicules. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  a 
  curious 
  fact 
  that 
  at 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  points 
  of 
  union 
  between 
  the 
  

   two 
  stems, 
  as 
  above 
  described, 
  a 
  vent, 
  originally 
  belonging 
  to 
  one 
  of 
  

   the 
  stems, 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  come 
  into 
  communication 
  with 
  the 
  canal- 
  

   system 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  stem. 
  

  

  Cladochalina 
  nuda, 
  var. 
  abruptispicula. 
  (Plate 
  XLI. 
  fig. 
  j.) 
  

  

  Repent?, 
  with 
  single 
  series 
  of 
  vents 
  on 
  one 
  surface 
  about 
  2 
  millim. 
  

   in 
  diameter, 
  from 
  15 
  millim. 
  and 
  upwards 
  apart, 
  margins 
  level 
  

   with 
  surface. 
  Stem 
  8 
  to 
  12 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  slightly 
  compressed, 
  

   unbranched 
  ; 
  surface 
  even. 
  Colour, 
  in 
  dry 
  state, 
  brown. 
  Texture 
  

   tough, 
  elastic. 
  Main 
  skeleton 
  rectangular. 
  Fibre 
  strong, 
  pale 
  

   amber-yellow 
  ; 
  primary 
  fibres 
  about 
  -088 
  millim. 
  thick, 
  spicules 
  

   axial, 
  about 
  3-serial, 
  ^35 
  to 
  -5 
  millim. 
  apart, 
  with 
  a 
  margin 
  of 
  

   horny 
  matter 
  ; 
  secondary 
  fibres, 
  as 
  primaries, 
  but 
  ^044 
  to 
  "088 
  millim. 
  

   thick, 
  spicules 
  somewhat 
  loosely 
  aggi'ogated, 
  1- 
  to 
  3-serial. 
  Dermal 
  

   skeleton 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  typical 
  form, 
  but 
  with 
  stouter 
  main 
  fibres. 
  

   Sarcode 
  pale 
  yellow-brown, 
  transparent. 
  Spicules 
  smooth 
  acerate, 
  

   straight 
  or 
  almost 
  so, 
  coming 
  abruptly 
  to 
  sharp 
  i)oints 
  within 
  1| 
  

   diameter 
  from 
  ends 
  ; 
  size 
  '107 
  bv 
  -0063 
  millim. 
  

  

  