﻿SPONGIIUA. 
  447 
  

  

  specimens 
  recall 
  strongly, 
  from 
  their 
  habit 
  and 
  size, 
  the 
  figure 
  of 
  this 
  

   species 
  given 
  by 
  Esper 
  (Pflanzcnth. 
  ii. 
  \A. 
  xlv.), 
  with 
  which 
  Yosmaer's 
  

   specimen 
  was 
  at 
  first 
  erroneously 
  identified. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  are 
  the 
  leading 
  points 
  in 
  the 
  external 
  characters 
  : 
  — 
  

   The 
  specimens 
  are 
  abundantly 
  branched, 
  the 
  stems 
  and 
  branches 
  

   are 
  cither 
  roughly 
  cylindrical 
  below 
  (usually 
  flattened 
  at 
  the 
  

   ends), 
  greatest 
  diameter 
  about 
  9 
  millim. 
  in 
  the 
  cylindrical, 
  12 
  to 
  

   14 
  millim. 
  in 
  the 
  compressed 
  parts. 
  Anastomosis 
  frequent, 
  pro- 
  

   duced 
  by 
  lateral 
  adhesion 
  of 
  branches, 
  sometimes 
  forming 
  broad 
  

   expansions 
  of 
  sponge-substance. 
  Surface 
  entirely 
  broken 
  up 
  by 
  a 
  

   system 
  of 
  anastomosing, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  sharp, 
  usually 
  jagged 
  ridges, 
  

   2 
  to 
  3 
  millim. 
  high, 
  often 
  drawn 
  up 
  into 
  prominent 
  detached 
  points. 
  

   Texture 
  in 
  dry 
  state 
  subelastic, 
  firm, 
  harsh 
  to 
  touch. 
  Maximum 
  

   extent 
  of 
  largest 
  specimen 
  180 
  millim. 
  (7^ 
  inches). 
  Skeleton 
  : 
  indi- 
  

   cations 
  of 
  horny 
  matter 
  in 
  fibres 
  slight 
  and 
  infrequent 
  ; 
  fibres 
  usually 
  

   wholly 
  composed 
  of 
  the 
  smooth 
  skeleton-spicule, 
  about 
  8 
  spicules 
  

   broad, 
  and 
  sparingly 
  echinated 
  by 
  the 
  spined 
  cylindrical 
  form. 
  

   Spicules 
  : 
  I 
  cannot 
  find 
  any 
  spinulates, 
  those 
  which 
  Vosmaer 
  de- 
  

   scribes 
  are 
  perhaps 
  young 
  forms 
  of 
  the 
  smooth 
  acuate 
  ; 
  nor 
  do 
  I 
  find 
  

   the 
  smooth 
  cylindrical 
  which 
  he 
  places 
  Avithin 
  brackets, 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  skeleton 
  smooth 
  acuate, 
  has 
  a 
  well-rounded 
  head 
  and 
  tapers 
  

   gradually 
  to 
  a 
  sharp 
  point 
  ; 
  size 
  -25 
  by 
  -0127 
  to 
  -28 
  by 
  -0095 
  millim, 
  

  

  (2) 
  Smooth 
  acuate, 
  occasionally 
  echinating, 
  measures 
  -22 
  by 
  

   •0127 
  millim. 
  

  

  (3) 
  The 
  spined 
  echinating 
  cylindrical 
  tapers 
  to 
  the 
  smaller 
  blunt 
  

   end; 
  the 
  spines 
  project 
  directly 
  outwards 
  from 
  the 
  shaft 
  and 
  are 
  

   about 
  equally 
  distributed 
  over 
  the 
  whole 
  spicules 
  ; 
  size 
  -070 
  by 
  -OOGB 
  

   millim. 
  

  

  (4) 
  Equianchorate, 
  -019 
  millim. 
  long. 
  

   Colour, 
  in 
  dry 
  state, 
  grey 
  or 
  very 
  pale 
  brown. 
  

  

  Yosmaer's 
  description 
  being 
  short 
  and 
  merely 
  preliminary, 
  1 
  have 
  

   thought 
  it 
  well 
  to 
  give 
  the 
  chief 
  details 
  (although 
  I 
  hope 
  he 
  will 
  

   himself 
  figure 
  or 
  further 
  describe 
  his 
  species) 
  to 
  obviate 
  any 
  future 
  

   uncertainty 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  identity 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  form. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  Prince 
  of 
  AYules 
  Channel, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  

   3-7 
  fms. 
  ; 
  common. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  Moluccas 
  ( 
  Vosmaer). 
  

  

  Vosmaer 
  states 
  that 
  his 
  specimen 
  is 
  unbranched. 
  

  

  Clathria 
  reinwardti, 
  Vosmaer, 
  var. 
  palmata. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  surprising 
  to 
  find 
  Clathria 
  exhibiting 
  individual 
  varia- 
  

   tion 
  in 
  its 
  external 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  character 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  which 
  occurs 
  in 
  

   the 
  nearly 
  allied 
  genus 
  Echinonema. 
  As 
  in 
  that 
  genus 
  the 
  same 
  

   species 
  may 
  be 
  either 
  cylindrical 
  or 
  semipalmate, 
  so 
  here. 
  In 
  this 
  

   collection 
  occur 
  two 
  specimens 
  from 
  one 
  locality, 
  which, 
  though 
  dif- 
  

   fering 
  greatly 
  in 
  form 
  from 
  each 
  other, 
  have 
  the 
  same 
  colour, 
  a 
  

   surface 
  of 
  similar 
  character, 
  and 
  agree 
  closely 
  in 
  spiculation. 
  

  

  The 
  one 
  arises 
  from 
  a 
  stout, 
  laterally 
  compressed, 
  short 
  pedicle, 
  

   and 
  expands 
  rapidly 
  into 
  a 
  fan-shaped 
  but 
  rather 
  thick 
  expansion. 
  

  

  