﻿416 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA, 
  

  

  or 
  the 
  tubes 
  are 
  almofet 
  level 
  with 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  wall-like 
  ridge 
  

   which 
  terminates 
  the 
  sponge 
  above 
  ; 
  margin 
  of 
  tubes 
  simple. 
  

   Surface 
  of 
  sponge 
  between 
  the 
  coarse 
  inequalities 
  smooth, 
  imper- 
  

   forate 
  to 
  naked 
  eye. 
  Texture 
  in 
  spirit 
  firm 
  but 
  brittle 
  ; 
  colour 
  

   dull 
  and 
  pale 
  umber-brown. 
  

  

  Main 
  skeleton 
  — 
  very 
  loose 
  primary 
  lines 
  of 
  spicules, 
  about 
  three 
  

   spicules 
  broad, 
  running 
  irregularly 
  towards 
  surface, 
  crossed 
  by 
  

   secondary 
  tracts 
  of 
  similar 
  character, 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  spicules 
  broad, 
  at 
  right 
  

   angles 
  to 
  the 
  primaries 
  and 
  about 
  '4 
  millim. 
  apart. 
  Dermal 
  

   skeleton 
  — 
  extremely 
  loose 
  tracts 
  of 
  irregularly 
  parallel 
  spicules, 
  

   3 
  or 
  4 
  spicules 
  broad, 
  surrounding 
  roundish 
  or 
  polygonal 
  areas 
  

   from 
  'IS 
  to 
  '28 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter. 
  Sarcode 
  dense, 
  granular, 
  

   yellowish 
  brown, 
  containing 
  much 
  foreign 
  material. 
  Spicules 
  

   smooth 
  acerate, 
  slighly 
  curved, 
  tapering 
  to 
  fairly 
  sharp 
  points 
  from 
  

   centre, 
  more 
  rapidly 
  towards 
  the 
  ends 
  than 
  near 
  the 
  centre 
  ; 
  size 
  

   •4 
  by 
  -019 
  minim. 
  

  

  Nab. 
  Port 
  Darwin, 
  N. 
  coast 
  of 
  Australia, 
  7-12 
  fms. 
  ; 
  bottom 
  

   sand 
  and 
  mud. 
  

  

  The 
  vertical 
  and 
  horizontal 
  dimensions 
  of 
  the 
  irregular 
  lobes 
  both 
  

   vary 
  from 
  about 
  12 
  to 
  22 
  millim. 
  The 
  specimens 
  are 
  all 
  broken 
  ; 
  

   the 
  greatest 
  length 
  represented 
  among 
  the 
  pieces 
  is 
  60 
  millim. 
  

   (2^ 
  inches). 
  By 
  the 
  very 
  slight 
  extent 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  tubes 
  which 
  

   chiefly 
  characterize 
  the 
  genus 
  are 
  developed, 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  distin- 
  

   guished 
  from 
  S. 
  dura, 
  Schmidt 
  ; 
  by 
  the 
  large 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  skeleton- 
  

   spicules, 
  from 
  S. 
  aulopora. 
  It 
  has 
  somewhat 
  the 
  general 
  habit 
  of 
  the 
  

   specimen 
  figure^ 
  by 
  Schmidt 
  (Atl. 
  Geb. 
  pi. 
  v. 
  fig. 
  8) 
  for 
  the 
  latter 
  

   species, 
  and 
  of 
  Thalysias 
  suhtnanyidaris, 
  Duch. 
  de 
  Foubressin 
  and 
  

   Michelotti 
  ; 
  but 
  has 
  a 
  more 
  contort 
  character 
  than 
  the 
  latter, 
  and 
  

   the 
  spicules 
  are 
  far 
  larger 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  former. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  quite 
  

   distinct 
  in 
  habit 
  and 
  spiculation 
  from 
  the 
  form 
  termed 
  Thahjsias 
  

   triangularis 
  by 
  Carter 
  (Phil. 
  Trans, 
  clxviii. 
  JD. 
  287), 
  from 
  Kerguelen 
  

   Island, 
  the 
  spicules 
  in 
  this 
  being 
  (as 
  I 
  have 
  ascertained 
  from 
  the 
  

   original 
  specimens, 
  now 
  in 
  the 
  Museum) 
  only 
  '19 
  to 
  '2 
  by 
  '014 
  to 
  

   •016 
  millim. 
  in 
  dimensions. 
  In 
  Schmidtia 
  (Isodictya, 
  Bowerbank) 
  

   mirabilis, 
  Bowerbank, 
  another 
  Indo-Pacific 
  species, 
  the 
  spicules 
  are 
  

   only 
  about 
  half 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  species, 
  although 
  the 
  habit 
  is 
  

   similar. 
  It 
  is 
  perhaps 
  nearly 
  allied 
  to 
  JS. 
  clavata 
  (Balsamo-Crivelli), 
  

   Esper, 
  by 
  its 
  general 
  habit 
  and 
  large 
  sti'ong 
  spicules 
  ; 
  but 
  those 
  of 
  

   that 
  species, 
  as 
  figured 
  by 
  Balsamo-Crivelli 
  (Atti 
  Soc. 
  Ital. 
  v. 
  pi. 
  iv. 
  

   fig. 
  12), 
  are 
  considerably 
  stouter 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  S. 
  variahiUs. 
  

  

  52. 
  Amorphina 
  megalorrhaphis. 
  

   Carter, 
  Ann. 
  8f 
  May. 
  N. 
  H. 
  (5) 
  vii. 
  p. 
  368. 
  

  

  A 
  remarkable 
  small 
  specimen, 
  which 
  at 
  first 
  sight 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  

   pedicillate, 
  with 
  a 
  fusiform 
  head, 
  but 
  is 
  in 
  reality 
  horizontal 
  in 
  

   growth. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  subfusiform 
  mass, 
  which 
  tapers 
  rapidly 
  to 
  a 
  blunt 
  

   point 
  at 
  one 
  end, 
  runs 
  out 
  as 
  a 
  long 
  narrow 
  cylindrical 
  lobe 
  at 
  the 
  

   other, 
  and 
  is 
  attached 
  by 
  one 
  side 
  of 
  its 
  thickest 
  part, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  two 
  

   ends 
  mentioned 
  project 
  horizontally 
  outwards 
  to 
  right 
  and 
  left 
  of 
  tho 
  

  

  