﻿400 
  

  

  COLM'.CTIONB 
  FKOM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  Ausf 
  ralia. 
  I 
  havo, 
  al 
  any 
  rate, 
  soon 
  pieces 
  of 
  a 
  sponge 
  closely 
  allied 
  

   to, 
  if 
  not. 
  idonlical 
  willi, 
  lliis 
  substituted 
  for 
  tho 
  orij;inal 
  sponge 
  of 
  

   Jhialoiwma 
  s'uholdi, 
  ])rol)ably 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  species 
  alluded 
  to 
  as 
  

   occurring 
  in 
  this 
  connexion 
  in 
  .lajtan 
  by 
  L. 
  Diiderlein 
  (Arch, 
  fiir 
  

   Naturg. 
  xlix. 
  ]). 
  Id 
  I), 
  iindiM- 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  JSi/)Jtonocha!iitd 
  papjiracea 
  ; 
  

   it 
  is 
  in 
  liny 
  case 
  not 
  referable 
  to 
  that 
  species, 
  but 
  possibly 
  to 
  Tulm 
  

   iner/asfoma, 
  Duch. 
  & 
  ^lich., 
  or 
  7'. 
  {IS/wiipia) 
  hiirsaria, 
  Lamarck. 
  

   Linne 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  conl'ounded 
  two 
  or 
  more 
  species 
  under 
  the 
  

   name 
  acidcdid. 
  

  

  Ildh. 
  I'oit 
  Molle 
  and 
  J'ort 
  t'urlis, 
  Queensland 
  (from 
  coral-reef, 
  

  

  Diftirihniion. 
  Australian 
  seas 
  {LiUiuirck). 
  

  

  1*!). 
  Tuba 
  confcederata. 
  

   ? 
  Spongia 
  confaHlenita, 
  Lamarck, 
  Ann. 
  Mus. 
  Hist. 
  Nat. 
  xx. 
  p. 
  4^8. 
  

  

  Croups 
  of 
  erect, 
  straight, 
  laterally 
  united 
  tubes, 
  each 
  about 
  25 
  

   millim. 
  (1 
  inch) 
  in 
  greatest 
  internal 
  diameter 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  (dry 
  

   and 
  somewhat 
  compressed) 
  state, 
  the 
  surface 
  covered 
  with 
  numerous 
  

   sharp 
  but 
  low 
  aculeations, 
  about 
  2 
  to 
  3 
  millim. 
  high 
  and 
  3 
  to 
  5 
  

   millim. 
  apart, 
  seem 
  to 
  mo 
  to 
  possibly 
  represent 
  this 
  species. 
  1 
  am, 
  

   however, 
  doubtful 
  whether 
  8eba's 
  figure 
  to 
  which 
  Lamarck 
  refers 
  

   (viz. 
  Thesaurus, 
  iii. 
  \i\. 
  xcvii. 
  iig. 
  2) 
  professes 
  to 
  reju'esent 
  the 
  

   surface 
  aculeations 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  described 
  ; 
  in 
  that 
  figure 
  tlie 
  tubes 
  

   are 
  shorter 
  in 
  proportion 
  to 
  their 
  diameter 
  than 
  here. 
  In 
  this 
  speci- 
  

   men 
  the 
  surface 
  between 
  tlie 
  aculeations 
  is 
  smooth, 
  and 
  the 
  tubes 
  

   decrease 
  but 
  slightly 
  in 
  diameter 
  towards 
  the 
  mouth, 
  wliich 
  is 
  fringed 
  

   M'ith 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  small, 
  tlexible, 
  tag-like 
  acidtvitions 
  2 
  to 
  ',\ 
  millim. 
  long. 
  

   The 
  tubes 
  are 
  \)o 
  to 
  120 
  millim. 
  long, 
  and 
  have 
  evidently 
  been 
  torn 
  

   from 
  a 
  connnon 
  hollow 
  horizontal 
  base 
  (as 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  another, 
  

   very 
  battered 
  specimen, 
  whicli 
  also 
  shows 
  the 
  real 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  tubes 
  

   to 
  be 
  approximately 
  as 
  stated 
  above 
  for 
  the 
  detached 
  tubes) 
  ; 
  they 
  

   are 
  united 
  up 
  to 
  their 
  summits 
  or 
  to 
  within 
  a 
  very 
  short 
  distance 
  of 
  

   them. 
  The 
  walls 
  are 
  1 
  to 
  3 
  millim. 
  thick. 
  Vents 
  numerous, 
  small, 
  

   •") 
  to 
  1 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  on 
  the 
  inner 
  (otherwise 
  smooth) 
  surface 
  of 
  

   tlie 
  tubes. 
  The 
  colour 
  is 
  pale 
  brown. 
  

  

  The 
  main 
  skelcton-fil)re 
  is 
  tough, 
  flexible, 
  amber-yellow 
  ; 
  tlie 
  

   spiciUes 
  of 
  the 
  primary 
  fibres 
  form 
  about 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  series 
  in 
  axis 
  of 
  fibre, 
  

   of 
  which 
  they 
  occupy 
  about 
  one 
  fourth 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  breadth, 
  Miiich 
  

   is 
  "07 
  to 
  -1 
  millim. 
  ; 
  the 
  spicules 
  of 
  the 
  secondary 
  fibres 
  are 
  in 
  two 
  

   or 
  three 
  axial 
  series, 
  diameter 
  of 
  fibre 
  about 
  -07 
  millim. 
  Secondary 
  

   fibres 
  generally 
  long, 
  not 
  far 
  apart, 
  approximately 
  vertical 
  to 
  tlio 
  

   primaries. 
  Dt-rmal 
  skeleton 
  consisting 
  of 
  stout 
  main 
  fibres 
  about 
  

   •14 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  internuMliate 
  fibres 
  •03") 
  to 
  "1 
  millim. 
  broad 
  ; 
  

   fibres 
  usually 
  spiculnr, 
  witli 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  visible 
  horny 
  matter. 
  Bar- 
  

   code 
  wanting. 
  Spicules 
  smooth 
  acerate, 
  tapering 
  to 
  sharp 
  points 
  

   from 
  about 
  three 
  dian\eters 
  from 
  ends; 
  size 
  -1 
  by 
  '00(53 
  to 
  '0075 
  

   millim. 
  

  

  Represented 
  by 
  three 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  washed 
  dry 
  specimens. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  West 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits 
  (from 
  beach). 
  

  

  