﻿460 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  form, 
  the 
  large 
  development 
  of 
  acuate 
  spicules, 
  and 
  

   the 
  echination 
  by 
  the 
  long 
  acuate 
  spicules 
  ally 
  the 
  species 
  more 
  

   closely 
  to 
  RaspaiUa 
  (Bicti/oc)/Undnis) 
  than 
  to 
  EcMnoclictijum 
  ; 
  the 
  

   cylindrical 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  spined 
  spicule 
  agrees 
  with 
  the 
  latter 
  genus 
  ; 
  

   but 
  the 
  share 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  acuate 
  spicule 
  in 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  the 
  

   fibre 
  is 
  conclusive 
  as 
  to 
  its 
  belonging 
  to 
  RaspaiUa. 
  

  

  Subgenus 
  Syeingella, 
  Schmidt. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  description, 
  in 
  the 
  Spong.Kiiste 
  Algier., 
  at 
  p. 
  10, 
  of 
  a 
  species 
  

   from 
  Algiers, 
  named 
  by 
  him 
  RaspaiUa 
  syriiir/ella, 
  Prof. 
  Schmidt 
  says 
  

   that 
  it 
  diverges 
  remarkably 
  from 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  RaspaiUa, 
  having 
  but 
  

   one 
  form 
  of 
  spicule 
  (spinulate) 
  and 
  (in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  one 
  specimen) 
  a 
  

   well-marked 
  vent 
  ; 
  he 
  does 
  not 
  definitely 
  form 
  a 
  new 
  genus 
  to 
  con- 
  

   tain 
  it, 
  but 
  suggests 
  that 
  if 
  the 
  two 
  characters 
  referred 
  to 
  should, 
  

   with 
  further 
  material, 
  prove 
  constant, 
  a 
  genus 
  should 
  be 
  formed 
  

   for 
  the 
  species, 
  and 
  named 
  Syringella. 
  Fresh 
  material 
  has 
  now 
  

   appeared, 
  from 
  which 
  I 
  describe 
  the 
  two 
  following 
  species. 
  Although 
  

   the 
  spicular 
  character 
  of 
  Schmidt's 
  species 
  is 
  (essentially) 
  reproduced 
  

   in 
  them, 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  a 
  vent 
  is 
  not 
  ; 
  therefore, 
  although 
  I 
  

   consider 
  the 
  group 
  for 
  which 
  Prof. 
  Schmidt 
  provisionally 
  proposed 
  

   the 
  name 
  Si/rinr/ella 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  suhgeneric 
  value, 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  feel 
  justified 
  

   in 
  separating 
  it 
  generically 
  from 
  RaspaiUa. 
  The 
  group 
  may 
  be 
  

   defined 
  as 
  differing 
  from 
  RaspaiUa 
  in 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  spined 
  

   acuate 
  spicule. 
  In 
  the 
  following 
  species 
  the 
  skeleton-spicule 
  has 
  

   usually 
  lost 
  the 
  head, 
  which 
  R. 
  syringella 
  retains 
  well 
  developed. 
  

   It 
  is 
  interesting 
  to 
  find 
  this 
  suhgeneric 
  type 
  so 
  widely 
  distributed. 
  

  

  88. 
  RaspaiUa 
  (Syringella) 
  australiensis. 
  

   (Plate 
  XLII. 
  figs. 
  m,m'.) 
  

  

  Erect, 
  unbranched, 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  single, 
  slender, 
  cylindrical 
  

   column, 
  tapering 
  very 
  gradually 
  from 
  about 
  two 
  thirds 
  of 
  the 
  

   height 
  to 
  the 
  base 
  on 
  the 
  one 
  hand 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  rounded 
  free 
  

   extremity 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  ; 
  diameter 
  at 
  base 
  and 
  summit 
  about 
  half 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  thickest 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  stem. 
  Surface 
  in 
  spirit 
  semi- 
  

   gelatinous 
  in 
  appearance 
  under 
  lens, 
  and 
  minutely 
  pilose 
  and 
  velvet- 
  

   like 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  corrugated 
  by 
  closely 
  set, 
  irregularly 
  interrupted, 
  longi- 
  

   tudinal 
  ridges. 
  The 
  sponge 
  is, 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  tough 
  and 
  elastic 
  ; 
  the 
  

   corrugated 
  superficial 
  layer 
  loose 
  and 
  fragile, 
  its 
  greatest 
  thickness 
  

   about 
  1 
  raillim. 
  Colour 
  in 
  spirit 
  dirty 
  white. 
  The 
  stem 
  is 
  formed 
  

   by 
  a 
  dense 
  flexible 
  rod 
  of 
  a 
  dull 
  yellow 
  colour 
  and 
  smooth 
  surface. 
  

   Vents 
  not 
  perceptible 
  to 
  naked 
  eye 
  or 
  lens. 
  Skeleton 
  of 
  axis 
  con- 
  

   sisting 
  of 
  a 
  close 
  network 
  of 
  tracts 
  of 
  skeleton-spicules, 
  the 
  tracts 
  

   mostly 
  arranged 
  longitudinally, 
  and 
  connected 
  by 
  smaller 
  tracts 
  set 
  

   at 
  oblique 
  angles 
  to 
  them 
  (as 
  in 
  Axinella, 
  Schmidt, 
  but 
  much 
  closer 
  

   together) 
  ; 
  tracts 
  often 
  confluent, 
  at 
  most 
  only 
  -15 
  milHm. 
  apart 
  ; 
  no 
  

   soft 
  substance 
  is 
  apparent 
  uniting 
  the 
  spicules. 
  Skeleton 
  of 
  cortical 
  

   soft 
  layer 
  consisting 
  of 
  fascicles 
  of 
  skeleton 
  - 
  spicules, 
  radiating 
  

  

  