﻿410 
  

  

  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  8pongida" 
  (xlnu. 
  & 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  H. 
  (4) 
  xvi. 
  p. 
  178) 
  calls 
  Crassa 
  ; 
  in 
  its 
  

   cup-shaped 
  form 
  and 
  cylindrical 
  spicules 
  it 
  is 
  evidently 
  nearly 
  allied 
  

   to 
  R. 
  cratera, 
  Schmidt 
  (A-dr. 
  Meer. 
  p. 
  73). 
  It 
  was 
  described 
  by 
  

   Lamarck 
  in 
  1815, 
  and 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  since 
  identified 
  as 
  a 
  sponge 
  or 
  

   redescribed. 
  The 
  present 
  specimen 
  agrees 
  well 
  with 
  the 
  description, 
  

   and 
  with 
  the 
  specimen 
  which 
  represents 
  the 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  Museum, 
  

   in 
  both 
  the 
  larger 
  and 
  the 
  minuter 
  characters. 
  It 
  is 
  certainly 
  not, 
  

   as 
  Lamarck 
  suggests 
  {I. 
  c), 
  the 
  Spongia 
  cristata 
  of 
  Ellis 
  and 
  

   Solauder. 
  

  

  Bab. 
  Port 
  Denison, 
  Queensland, 
  4 
  fms. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  Lamarck's 
  conjecture 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  locality, 
  viz. 
  "Seas 
  of 
  

   Europe, 
  " 
  can 
  hardly 
  be 
  correct. 
  

  

  42. 
  Eeniera, 
  sp. 
  

  

  Wall-like. 
  A 
  small 
  specimen 
  attached 
  to 
  a 
  filamentous 
  Alga. 
  

   It 
  is 
  erect, 
  broad, 
  laterally 
  compressed 
  ; 
  maximum 
  thickness 
  6 
  

   millim., 
  length 
  25 
  millim., 
  height 
  19 
  millim. 
  On 
  the 
  sloping 
  and 
  

   narrow 
  upper 
  margin 
  is 
  placed 
  one 
  blind 
  rounded 
  eminence 
  and 
  the 
  

   suborbicular 
  opening, 
  4-5 
  millim. 
  wide, 
  of 
  a 
  deep 
  cloacal 
  cavity, 
  

   which 
  rises 
  from 
  near 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  sponge. 
  The 
  skeleton-fibres 
  

   have 
  1- 
  or 
  2-serially 
  ai'ranged 
  spicules 
  ; 
  the 
  latter 
  are 
  short, 
  smooth, 
  

   curved 
  acerates, 
  tapering 
  to 
  sharp 
  points 
  from 
  within 
  about 
  three 
  

   diameters 
  of 
  ends, 
  size 
  -11 
  by 
  '006 
  millim. 
  Texture 
  of 
  sponge 
  in 
  

   spirit 
  soft, 
  brittle 
  ; 
  colour 
  dull 
  pinkish 
  grey. 
  Surface 
  even, 
  glabrous. 
  

  

  Hub. 
  Port 
  Darwin, 
  between 
  tide-marks 
  ; 
  bottom 
  mud 
  and 
  rock. 
  

  

  43. 
  Eeniera, 
  sp. 
  

  

  Laminar. 
  Some 
  fragments 
  of 
  a 
  laminar 
  Eeniera 
  (s. 
  str.) 
  of 
  erect 
  

   habit 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  collection. 
  The 
  lamina 
  is 
  1 
  to 
  2 
  millim. 
  thick, 
  

   and 
  exhibits 
  curves 
  in 
  some 
  pieces, 
  perhaps 
  indicating 
  that 
  the 
  

   original 
  form 
  was 
  cup- 
  shaped 
  ; 
  its 
  free 
  edge 
  is 
  quite 
  thin; 
  both 
  

   surfaces 
  are 
  quite 
  even 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  texture 
  I'esembling 
  fine 
  cloth, 
  

   exhibiting 
  very 
  minute 
  apertures, 
  closely 
  set, 
  all 
  over. 
  Texture 
  of 
  

   sponge 
  in 
  spirit 
  very 
  soft 
  and 
  compressible, 
  subelastic, 
  but 
  very 
  

   readily 
  torn 
  ; 
  colour 
  dull 
  pale 
  yellowish 
  brown. 
  Main 
  skeleton 
  very 
  

   regular 
  ; 
  primary 
  lines 
  biserinl, 
  running 
  parallel 
  or 
  obliquely 
  to 
  

   lateral 
  surfaces 
  in 
  centre 
  of 
  lamina, 
  but 
  curving 
  out 
  towards 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  sponge, 
  which 
  they 
  meet 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  ; 
  these 
  lines 
  

   scarcely 
  one 
  spicule's 
  length 
  apart 
  ; 
  secondary 
  lines 
  uuiserial, 
  the 
  

   single 
  spicules 
  usually 
  crossing 
  obliquely 
  the 
  spaces 
  between, 
  the 
  

   primaries. 
  Sarcode 
  dull 
  brown, 
  rather 
  granular. 
  Spicules 
  smooth 
  

   acerate, 
  very 
  slightly 
  curved, 
  tapering 
  graduUy 
  to 
  sharp 
  points 
  from 
  

   about 
  five 
  diameters 
  from 
  ends 
  ; 
  size 
  -175 
  by 
  •0079 
  millim. 
  

  

  The 
  specimen 
  when 
  entire 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  

   inches 
  high 
  and 
  as 
  many 
  wide. 
  It 
  strongly 
  resembles 
  Isodictifd 
  

   infundibuliformis, 
  Bowerbank, 
  in 
  growth, 
  texture, 
  and 
  surface-cha- 
  

   racters, 
  but 
  its 
  spicules 
  are 
  less 
  stout 
  and 
  do 
  not 
  include 
  acuate 
  

   forms. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  striking 
  species, 
  and 
  should 
  be 
  recognized 
  from 
  the 
  

   above 
  description 
  when 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  a 
  perfect 
  state 
  ; 
  until 
  that 
  

  

  