﻿403 
  

  

  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  Surface 
  even, 
  very 
  slightly 
  roughened 
  by 
  the 
  projecting 
  primary 
  

   skeleton-lines, 
  which 
  form 
  a 
  fine 
  velvet-like 
  pile. 
  Texture 
  in 
  spirit 
  

   soft, 
  compressible, 
  elastic 
  ; 
  colour 
  pale 
  brown, 
  with 
  a 
  slight 
  (possibly 
  

   accidental) 
  tinge 
  of 
  purple. 
  Main 
  skeleton 
  — 
  network 
  rectangular 
  ; 
  

   fibre 
  to 
  the 
  eye 
  wholly 
  composed 
  of 
  spicules 
  loosely 
  aggregated, 
  

   especially 
  in 
  the 
  secondary 
  fibres 
  ; 
  primary 
  fibres 
  running 
  at 
  right 
  

   angles 
  to 
  surface, 
  spicules 
  3- 
  to 
  5-serial 
  ; 
  secondary 
  fibres, 
  spicules 
  

   1- 
  to 
  3-serial 
  ; 
  intervals 
  between 
  primaries 
  about 
  -IT 
  millim., 
  and 
  

   the 
  same 
  between 
  secondaries. 
  No 
  special 
  dermal 
  skeleton. 
  Sarcode 
  

   dark 
  umber-brown. 
  Spicules 
  smooth 
  acerate, 
  slightly 
  and 
  gradually 
  

   curved, 
  tapering 
  gradually 
  to 
  sharp 
  points 
  from 
  near 
  centre 
  ; 
  size 
  

   •21 
  by 
  -on 
  millim. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  West 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  7 
  fms. 
  ; 
  bottom 
  mud 
  and 
  

   coral. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  St. 
  Peter 
  and 
  St. 
  Francis 
  Islands, 
  Australia 
  

   (^Lamarck), 
  

  

  The 
  "leviter 
  incrustaj 
  fibrge 
  " 
  and 
  the 
  " 
  2- 
  seu 
  3-fidi 
  tubuli 
  " 
  of 
  

   Lamarck's 
  description 
  are 
  the 
  only 
  points 
  not 
  quite 
  in 
  agreement 
  

   with 
  our 
  specimen 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  evidently 
  young, 
  and 
  might 
  have 
  

   branched 
  when 
  older 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  " 
  incrustaj 
  " 
  apparently 
  alludes 
  to 
  the 
  

   earcode, 
  which 
  here, 
  as 
  in 
  Lamarck's 
  var. 
  Jidis 
  snhnudis, 
  has 
  not 
  all 
  

   been 
  retained 
  ; 
  his 
  specimens 
  were 
  18-25 
  centimetres 
  (7-10 
  inches) 
  

   in 
  length. 
  Schmidt's 
  Rniiera 
  aiha 
  (Adr. 
  Meer. 
  p. 
  73), 
  from 
  tho 
  

   Adriatic, 
  seems 
  to 
  resemble 
  the 
  species, 
  but 
  a 
  wniserial 
  network 
  is 
  

   figured 
  for 
  its 
  skeleton. 
  

  

  39. 
  Reniera 
  ferula. 
  

  

  Isodictya 
  ferula, 
  Boicerbank, 
  Man. 
  Brit. 
  Spong. 
  iv. 
  p. 
  116, 
  pi. 
  viii. 
  

   figs. 
  1-3. 
  

  

  A 
  small 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  size 
  and 
  shape 
  of 
  a 
  hazel-nut, 
  with 
  few 
  

   vents 
  about 
  -8 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter 
  ; 
  colour 
  (in 
  spirit) 
  dull 
  brown. 
  

   It 
  docs 
  not 
  bear 
  the 
  interesting 
  handle-like 
  process 
  on 
  which 
  

   Dr. 
  Bowerbank 
  lays 
  so 
  much 
  weight 
  as 
  a 
  " 
  caudal 
  appendage," 
  

   which 
  is 
  (as 
  the 
  type 
  specimens 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  young) 
  perhaps 
  a 
  

   form 
  of 
  a 
  stolon, 
  like 
  that 
  described 
  by 
  Mereschkowsky 
  in 
  an 
  Esperia 
  

   from 
  the 
  White 
  Sea 
  (Mem. 
  Acad. 
  Petersb. 
  xxvi. 
  no. 
  7, 
  p. 
  22, 
  pis. 
  i. 
  

   & 
  iii. 
  figs.), 
  but 
  which, 
  as 
  being 
  apparently 
  sessile 
  by 
  its 
  whole 
  

   length, 
  as 
  a 
  stolon 
  would 
  normally 
  be. 
  Dr. 
  Bowerbank 
  cannot 
  be 
  right 
  

   in 
  comparing 
  (Z. 
  c. 
  p. 
  117) 
  with 
  the 
  erect 
  digitate 
  processes 
  which 
  

   distinguish 
  the 
  genus 
  Foh/mastia. 
  The 
  absence 
  of 
  this 
  lobe 
  does 
  

   not 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  sufficient 
  importance 
  to 
  separate 
  this 
  species 
  

   from 
  Bowerbank's. 
  The 
  spicules 
  measiire 
  -21 
  by 
  '0079 
  millim., 
  

   whereas 
  those 
  of 
  Bowerbank's 
  type 
  specimen 
  are 
  -19 
  by 
  '01 
  millim., 
  

   and 
  arc 
  thus 
  decidedly 
  stouter 
  ; 
  the 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  skeleton 
  is 
  

   essentially 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  both 
  species. 
  The 
  specimen 
  is 
  attached 
  to 
  

   what 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  Hydroid 
  stem. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Port 
  Darwin, 
  7-12 
  fms. 
  ; 
  bottom 
  sand 
  and 
  mud. 
  

  

  Distrihvtion. 
  Ireland 
  {BowcrbcDik). 
  

  

  