﻿456 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FEOM 
  MELANESIA, 
  

  

  numerous, 
  low, 
  sharp, 
  those 
  of 
  distal 
  half 
  recurvate 
  towards 
  base 
  ; 
  

   size 
  of 
  spicule 
  -1 
  to 
  -14 
  by 
  -0079 
  millirn. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Port 
  Molle, 
  Queensland, 
  from 
  coral-reef. 
  

  

  Both 
  in 
  its 
  external 
  form 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  its 
  fibre 
  this 
  

   species 
  much 
  resembles 
  E. 
  hiJameUatum 
  ; 
  the 
  form, 
  however, 
  is 
  less 
  

   definite 
  here, 
  and 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  fine 
  acuate 
  effectually 
  distin- 
  

   guishes 
  this 
  species. 
  Its 
  turbinate 
  form 
  separates 
  it 
  from 
  E. 
  pyhei 
  and 
  

   laciniatiim, 
  and 
  its 
  rough 
  outer 
  and 
  inner 
  surface 
  from 
  E. 
  vasipli- 
  

   catum, 
  although 
  it 
  agrees 
  with 
  these 
  three 
  in 
  possessing 
  the 
  fine 
  

   acuate 
  spicule. 
  

  

  The 
  dry 
  specimen 
  which 
  represents 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  completely 
  tur- 
  

   binate, 
  but 
  forms 
  about 
  three 
  fifths 
  of 
  an 
  open 
  cup, 
  not 
  stipitate, 
  at 
  

   any 
  rate 
  in 
  its 
  present 
  condition. 
  There 
  is 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  when 
  

   fully 
  grown 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  turbinate, 
  as 
  E. 
  hihimeUatnm 
  shows 
  traces 
  

   of 
  an 
  originally 
  non-cup-shaped 
  condition 
  (and 
  ef. 
  varieties 
  of 
  

   Phacellia 
  ventilabrum). 
  The 
  height 
  is 
  50 
  millim. 
  (2 
  inches), 
  the 
  

   extreme 
  breadth 
  of 
  the 
  cup 
  70 
  millim. 
  (2| 
  inches). 
  

  

  85. 
  EcMnodictyuin 
  glomeratum. 
  (Plate 
  XL. 
  fig. 
  A 
  ; 
  

   Plate 
  XLII. 
  fig. 
  p.) 
  

  

  Erect, 
  stipitate 
  ; 
  base 
  spreading 
  ; 
  stem 
  short, 
  branching 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  at 
  acute 
  angles 
  and 
  in 
  an 
  arborescent 
  manner. 
  Branches 
  

   angular, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  flattened, 
  showing 
  strong 
  tendency 
  to 
  unite 
  by 
  

   their 
  edges, 
  forming 
  a 
  dense 
  head, 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  rounded 
  ends 
  of 
  

   the 
  branches 
  project 
  to 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  ; 
  maximum 
  diameter 
  of 
  

   primary 
  bi'anches 
  7 
  to 
  10 
  millim., 
  of 
  terminal 
  twigs 
  3 
  to 
  6 
  miJlim. 
  

   Surface 
  (in 
  present 
  dry 
  state) 
  even, 
  but 
  honeycombed 
  by 
  the 
  spaces 
  

   between 
  the 
  superficial 
  skeleton-fibres 
  ; 
  these 
  bear 
  small 
  inconspi- 
  

   cuous 
  sharp 
  points, 
  '25 
  to 
  1"0 
  millim. 
  high, 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  about 
  

   1-5 
  millim. 
  Vents 
  ? 
  Texture 
  in 
  dry 
  state 
  harsh 
  to 
  touch, 
  hard, 
  

   incompressible, 
  and 
  almost 
  inflexible 
  ; 
  colour 
  probably 
  dull 
  pjirple 
  

   in 
  natu.ral 
  state. 
  

  

  Main 
  skeleton 
  composed 
  of 
  compact 
  spiculo-fibre 
  ; 
  no 
  horny 
  matter 
  

   apparent 
  outside 
  the 
  spicules 
  ; 
  spicules 
  about 
  10- 
  to 
  12-serial 
  ; 
  arrange- 
  

   ment 
  non-rectangular, 
  the 
  meshes 
  rounded, 
  and 
  the 
  primary 
  and 
  

   secondary 
  fibres 
  not 
  traceable 
  as 
  distinct 
  fibres 
  beyond 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  

   consecutive 
  junction-nodes 
  ; 
  meshes 
  -28 
  to 
  "5 
  millim. 
  in 
  greatest 
  

   width 
  ; 
  both 
  primary 
  and 
  secondary 
  fibres 
  echiuated 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  

   by 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  the 
  echinating 
  spicule. 
  Dermal 
  skeleton 
  com- 
  

   posed 
  of 
  fibre 
  similar 
  in 
  structure 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  skeleton, 
  but 
  ranging 
  

   from 
  5 
  to 
  about 
  20 
  spicules 
  broad 
  ; 
  meshes 
  rounded, 
  from 
  '25 
  to 
  

   about 
  '7 
  millim. 
  in 
  width, 
  echinated 
  in 
  same 
  way 
  as 
  the 
  primaries 
  ; 
  

   the 
  fibre 
  composing 
  the 
  projecting 
  vertical 
  lines 
  is 
  similar 
  in 
  con- 
  

   stitution 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  skeleton. 
  Sarcode 
  pale 
  yellow, 
  trans- 
  

   parent 
  or 
  purplish 
  brown, 
  subopaque. 
  

  

  Spicules: 
  — 
  (1) 
  Long 
  setaceous 
  acerate, 
  sparse, 
  echinating; 
  

   smooth, 
  tapering 
  to 
  sharp 
  points 
  ; 
  size 
  about 
  2*0 
  by 
  '0127 
  millim. 
  

   (2) 
  Skeleton 
  acerate 
  smooth, 
  slightly 
  but 
  rather 
  suddenly 
  bent 
  in 
  

   %\\G 
  middle, 
  tapering 
  to 
  sharp 
  points 
  from 
  about 
  two 
  diameters 
  from 
  

  

  