﻿SPONGIIDA. 
  411 
  

  

  time 
  I 
  forbear 
  to 
  assign 
  a 
  specific 
  name 
  ; 
  it 
  appears 
  not 
  to 
  have 
  

   been 
  described 
  before. 
  It 
  also 
  resembles 
  Spom/ia 
  ■plancella, 
  La- 
  

   marck 
  (a 
  Chalinid 
  with 
  strong 
  fibre 
  and 
  smaller 
  spicules), 
  ex- 
  

   ternally. 
  Future 
  researches 
  will, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  prove 
  this 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  

   distinct 
  species, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  name 
  Reniera 
  infundibularis 
  may 
  be 
  

   given. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  4-6 
  fms. 
  ; 
  bottom 
  sand 
  and 
  

   rock. 
  

  

  44. 
  Reniera, 
  sp. 
  

  

  Honeycombed. 
  An 
  imperfect 
  specimen. 
  From 
  an 
  incrusting 
  

   base 
  arise 
  narrow 
  trabeculaj, 
  which 
  meet 
  above 
  and 
  enclose 
  mean- 
  

   dering 
  channels, 
  3 
  to 
  5 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter. 
  The 
  aspect 
  of 
  the 
  mass 
  

   is 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  wood 
  almost 
  reduced 
  to 
  fragments 
  by 
  some 
  

   boring 
  animal, 
  or 
  of 
  a 
  much 
  folded 
  piece 
  of 
  chamois-leather. 
  Tex- 
  

   ture 
  of 
  sponge 
  in 
  spirit 
  compact, 
  brittle 
  ; 
  colour 
  very 
  pale 
  bufi\ 
  

   Surface 
  (apart 
  from 
  the 
  large 
  ridges 
  and 
  canals) 
  even, 
  smooth. 
  Main 
  

   skeleton 
  — 
  general 
  arrangement 
  rectangular 
  near 
  surface, 
  irregular 
  

   near 
  base 
  ; 
  spicules 
  of 
  fibre 
  very 
  loosely 
  aggregated 
  ; 
  both 
  primary 
  

   and 
  secondary 
  fibres 
  bi- 
  to 
  nmltispicular, 
  primary 
  fibres 
  '14 
  to 
  -18 
  

   millim. 
  apart. 
  Lines 
  of 
  growth 
  very 
  apparent. 
  Dermal 
  skeleton 
  a 
  

   1- 
  to 
  2-serial 
  network 
  of 
  spicixles, 
  with 
  triangular 
  polygonal 
  meshes. 
  

   Sarcode 
  very 
  pale 
  buff, 
  opaque. 
  Spicules 
  smooth 
  acerate, 
  slightly 
  

   curved, 
  tapering 
  to 
  sharp 
  points 
  from 
  about 
  three 
  diameters 
  from 
  

   ends 
  ; 
  size 
  '2 
  by 
  •0085 
  millim. 
  

  

  I 
  can 
  find 
  no 
  such 
  species 
  described 
  from 
  Australia, 
  and 
  I 
  know 
  

   of 
  no 
  European 
  form 
  like 
  it. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Port 
  Darwin, 
  8-12 
  fms, 
  

  

  PELLINA. 
  

  

  Schmidt, 
  Sponr/. 
  Atl. 
  Geh. 
  p. 
  41. 
  

  

  The 
  want 
  of 
  regularity 
  and 
  definiteness 
  in 
  the 
  structure 
  and 
  

   arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  fibres, 
  and 
  the 
  large 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  spicules, 
  appear 
  

   to 
  me 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  distinctive 
  attributes 
  of 
  Pellina 
  than 
  Schmidt's 
  

   character, 
  viz. 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  a 
  distinct 
  dermis 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  species 
  

   combining 
  a 
  reticular 
  dermis 
  with 
  these 
  two 
  characters 
  that 
  I 
  here 
  

   apply 
  the 
  name. 
  

  

  45. 
  Pellina 
  muricata. 
  (Plate 
  XXXIX. 
  fig. 
  J 
  ; 
  

   Plate 
  XLI. 
  fig. 
  v' 
  .) 
  

  

  Aggregations 
  of 
  irregularly 
  united 
  short 
  parallel 
  tubes, 
  6 
  to 
  10 
  

   millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  lumen 
  3 
  to 
  7 
  millim. 
  across 
  ; 
  tubes 
  cylindrical, 
  

   summit 
  usually 
  widely 
  open. 
  Surface 
  asperated 
  with 
  sharp 
  monticular 
  

   points, 
  1 
  to 
  2 
  millim. 
  high 
  ; 
  glabrous 
  between 
  and 
  over 
  bases 
  of 
  points. 
  

   Texture 
  in 
  spirit 
  firm, 
  slightly 
  compressible, 
  but 
  somewhat 
  brittle. 
  

   Surface 
  harsh 
  to 
  touch 
  ; 
  normal 
  colour 
  apparently 
  pale 
  brown. 
  

   Main 
  skeleton 
  composed 
  of 
  compact 
  spiculo-fibre, 
  the 
  spicules 
  

   united 
  by 
  a 
  colourless 
  transparent 
  substance 
  : 
  the 
  primary 
  fibres 
  

  

  