﻿8P0NGI1DA. 
  423 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Port 
  Darwin, 
  8-12 
  fms., 
  bottom 
  sand, 
  mud, 
  &c. 
  ; 
  Arafura 
  

   Sea, 
  32-36 
  fms., 
  bottom 
  sand, 
  mud, 
  and 
  shells 
  ; 
  Torres 
  Straits. 
  

  

  Several 
  dry, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  imperfect 
  specimens, 
  all 
  somewhat 
  over- 
  

   grown 
  by 
  Polyzoa, 
  Hydroids, 
  or 
  other 
  Sponges 
  ; 
  and 
  one 
  in 
  spirit, 
  

   showing 
  the 
  only 
  at 
  all 
  complete 
  extremity. 
  The 
  largest 
  measures 
  

   155 
  millim. 
  (6:j 
  inches) 
  in 
  present 
  length, 
  and 
  was 
  probably 
  quite 
  

   250 
  millim. 
  (12 
  inches) 
  long 
  when 
  perfect. 
  The 
  species 
  is 
  an 
  extreme 
  

   form 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  elongate 
  type 
  as 
  R, 
  spathuJ-ifera, 
  but 
  does 
  not 
  

   branch, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  indication 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  specimens 
  of 
  

   flattened 
  extremities 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  that 
  species 
  ; 
  the 
  spicule 
  is 
  stouter, 
  

   longer, 
  and 
  more 
  approaching 
  a 
  cylindrical 
  form 
  than 
  in 
  that 
  species. 
  

  

  GELLIUS. 
  

  

  Grm/, 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  1867, 
  p. 
  538. 
  

  

  Asychis, 
  id. 
  I. 
  c. 
  p. 
  539. 
  

  

  Desmacodes, 
  Schmidt, 
  Sponff. 
  Atl. 
  Geb. 
  p. 
  54 
  ; 
  Vosmaer, 
  Notes 
  Roy. 
  

  

  3Ius. 
  Netherl. 
  ii. 
  p. 
  101. 
  

   Fibularia, 
  Carter, 
  Ann. 
  ^ 
  Ma;/. 
  N. 
  H. 
  1882, 
  ix. 
  p. 
  282. 
  

  

  The 
  identity 
  of 
  Schmidt's 
  genus 
  with 
  Gray's 
  might 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  

   questionable, 
  as 
  Schmidt, 
  besides 
  the 
  acerate 
  and 
  bihamate 
  spicules 
  

   on 
  which 
  Gray 
  bases 
  his 
  definition, 
  describes 
  also 
  a 
  spinulate 
  and 
  

   cylindrical 
  one 
  (" 
  Stift 
  ") 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  fail 
  to 
  find 
  these 
  forms 
  on 
  the 
  slide 
  of 
  

   the 
  type 
  species 
  which 
  the 
  Museum 
  possesses 
  from 
  Prof. 
  Schmidt. 
  

   The 
  genus, 
  which 
  maybe 
  defined 
  as 
  "consisting 
  of 
  massive 
  or 
  erect 
  

   forms, 
  with 
  loose 
  brittle 
  texture, 
  and 
  a 
  skeleton 
  smooth 
  acerate, 
  and 
  

   a 
  flesh 
  bihamate 
  spicule," 
  is 
  widely 
  distributed 
  ; 
  the 
  proportions 
  of 
  

   the 
  sjncules 
  vary 
  little, 
  and 
  the 
  external 
  form 
  has 
  chiefly 
  to 
  be 
  relied 
  

   upon 
  in 
  distinguishing 
  the 
  species. 
  It 
  is 
  unfortunate 
  that 
  Dr. 
  Gray's 
  

   genus, 
  which, 
  like 
  many 
  others 
  made 
  by 
  him, 
  is 
  suflSciently 
  cha- 
  

   racterized, 
  and 
  is 
  prior 
  to 
  names 
  assigned 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  by 
  other 
  

   authors, 
  has 
  not 
  come 
  into 
  general 
  use, 
  since 
  many 
  synonyms 
  have 
  

   been 
  thereby 
  created. 
  Sollas(Ann. 
  & 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  H. 
  1882, 
  ix. 
  p. 
  427) 
  

   upholds 
  Gray's 
  genus 
  Thenea 
  against 
  aU 
  comers 
  in 
  a 
  similar 
  way, 
  

   and 
  is 
  supported 
  by 
  Norman 
  {apud 
  Bowerbank, 
  Monograph 
  Brit. 
  

   Sponges, 
  iv. 
  p. 
  29). 
  

  

  Horny 
  matter 
  is 
  not 
  usually 
  to 
  be 
  detected 
  in 
  the 
  skeleton. 
  

  

  58. 
  Gellius 
  conchi, 
  Boiverbanlc, 
  var. 
  ceratina, 
  nov. 
  

  

  Halichondria 
  couchi, 
  Bowerbank, 
  Man. 
  Brit. 
  Spang, 
  iii. 
  p. 
  203, 
  

  

  pi. 
  Ixxxi. 
  fiiis. 
  12-15. 
  

   Halichondria 
  elegantia, 
  id. 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  1875, 
  p. 
  286. 
  

  

  As 
  Vosmaer 
  (I. 
  c.) 
  has 
  suspected, 
  the 
  above 
  two 
  species 
  are 
  both 
  

   congeneric 
  with 
  Desmacodes 
  Jibulatus 
  (Schmidt, 
  sp.) 
  aTid 
  agree 
  with 
  

   it 
  in 
  having 
  a 
  spiculation 
  composed 
  of 
  an 
  acerate 
  and 
  bihamate. 
  

  

  Bower1)imk's 
  type 
  specimen 
  of 
  //. 
  couchi, 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  examined, 
  

   contains 
  plenty 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  spicule 
  ; 
  and 
  his 
  own 
  statement 
  to 
  

   the 
  contrary 
  (P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  1875, 
  p. 
  286) 
  is 
  obviously 
  an 
  error, 
  as 
  he 
  

   himself 
  describes 
  and 
  figures 
  these 
  spicules 
  from 
  this 
  species 
  (Mon. 
  

  

  