﻿406 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FKOM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  nately 
  from 
  one 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  stem 
  at 
  very 
  acute 
  angles, 
  soon 
  

   becoming 
  almost 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  stem 
  itself 
  ; 
  their 
  length 
  varies 
  

   from 
  60 
  to 
  120 
  millim. 
  (2g 
  to 
  4| 
  inches). 
  The 
  vents 
  are 
  numerous, 
  

   •5 
  to 
  1 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  circular, 
  with 
  sharp, 
  prominent 
  margins, 
  

   about 
  '5 
  to 
  1 
  millim. 
  above 
  the 
  general 
  surface 
  ; 
  ranged 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  

   row 
  down 
  each 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  and 
  branches, 
  and 
  also 
  scattered 
  

   (more 
  sparsely) 
  on 
  their 
  anterior 
  and 
  posterior 
  faces 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  2 
  to 
  

   5 
  millim. 
  apart 
  on 
  the 
  margins. 
  General 
  surface 
  of 
  sponge 
  level, 
  

   only 
  rendered 
  a 
  little 
  uneven 
  by 
  the 
  slight 
  elevations 
  which 
  carry 
  

   the 
  vents, 
  composed 
  of 
  a 
  close 
  mesliwork 
  ; 
  meshes 
  •25 
  wide, 
  *25 
  to 
  

   •5 
  millim. 
  apart. 
  Texture 
  firm, 
  incompressible 
  in 
  stem, 
  elastic, 
  

   somewhat 
  compressible 
  towards 
  ends 
  of 
  branches, 
  brittle 
  ; 
  the 
  sur- 
  

   face 
  and 
  internal 
  fibre 
  soft, 
  like 
  leather. 
  Colour 
  in 
  dry 
  state 
  — 
  surface 
  

   pale 
  grey 
  ; 
  interior 
  brownish 
  yellow 
  in 
  present 
  specimens, 
  owing 
  to 
  a 
  

   parasitic 
  microphyte 
  of 
  some 
  kind. 
  Sarcode 
  apparently 
  transparent, 
  

   almost 
  colourless. 
  

  

  Main 
  skeleton 
  — 
  meshes 
  strictly 
  rectangular, 
  very 
  close 
  ; 
  primary 
  

   fibres 
  about 
  '11 
  millim., 
  secondaries 
  about 
  '14 
  millim. 
  apart 
  near 
  

   surface 
  ; 
  horny 
  material 
  uniting 
  fibres 
  only 
  visible 
  distinctly 
  at 
  some 
  

   depth 
  in 
  the 
  sponge 
  ; 
  primary 
  fibres 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  spicules 
  broad, 
  secon- 
  

   daries 
  2 
  or 
  8 
  spicules 
  broad. 
  Dermal 
  skeleton 
  composed 
  of 
  meshes 
  

   of 
  various 
  sizes 
  and 
  a 
  varying 
  number 
  of 
  angles, 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   jecting 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  primary 
  main-skeleton 
  fibres 
  and 
  the 
  uppermost 
  

   secondary 
  fibres. 
  Horny 
  matter 
  almost 
  colourless. 
  Spicules 
  — 
  (1) 
  

   skeleton 
  acerate, 
  smooth, 
  slightly 
  curved, 
  tapering 
  to 
  sharp 
  points 
  

   from 
  near 
  middle 
  ; 
  size 
  -16 
  by 
  -0063 
  millim. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Friday 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  " 
  Probably 
  Indian 
  Ocean" 
  {Lamarclc). 
  

  

  Parasite. 
  The 
  horny 
  matter 
  of 
  the 
  fibres 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  immense 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  a 
  small, 
  strongly 
  refractive 
  globular 
  body 
  about. 
  -0015 
  

   millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  which 
  gives 
  a 
  rust-brown 
  colour 
  

   ^to 
  the 
  fibres 
  of 
  many 
  Euspongice^ 
  recently 
  stated 
  by 
  Prof. 
  F. 
  E. 
  

   Schulze 
  (•' 
  Der 
  Badeschwamm," 
  Westermann's 
  Illustr. 
  Deutsch. 
  

   Monatshefte, 
  1882, 
  pp. 
  188-210) 
  to 
  be 
  probably 
  of 
  parasitic 
  nature. 
  

   Certainly, 
  judging 
  by 
  the 
  friable 
  character 
  of 
  these 
  and 
  other 
  simi- 
  

   larly 
  affected 
  specimens, 
  these 
  bodies 
  would 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  exercised 
  

   some 
  distinctly 
  deteriorating 
  influence. 
  

  

  EENIERID.^. 
  

  

  Reiiierida, 
  Carter, 
  Ann. 
  ^ 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  H. 
  (4) 
  xvi. 
  p. 
  133. 
  

  

  Under 
  this 
  heading 
  I 
  include 
  only 
  those 
  Monactinellida 
  which 
  have 
  

   merely 
  acerate 
  spicules 
  not 
  enclosed 
  in 
  a 
  distinct 
  horny 
  fibre. 
  The 
  

   genus 
  Reniera 
  very 
  commonly 
  has 
  strong 
  indications 
  of 
  a 
  horny 
  

   material 
  uniting 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  spicules, 
  and 
  thus 
  approaches 
  

   Chalina 
  and 
  PacJij/cJudina, 
  where, 
  however, 
  the 
  horny 
  element 
  is 
  

   distinct 
  enough 
  to 
  bear 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  a 
  fibre 
  ; 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  sharp 
  line 
  

   between 
  the 
  llenierida3 
  and 
  Chalinidae. 
  In 
  several 
  cases, 
  where 
  the 
  

   specimens 
  have 
  been 
  imperfect, 
  T 
  have 
  preferred 
  to 
  give 
  no 
  specific 
  

  

  