﻿596 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FKOM 
  THE 
  AVE8TERN 
  INDIAN 
  OCEAN. 
  

  

  appears 
  as 
  if 
  covered 
  by 
  a 
  dease 
  fine 
  incrustation 
  ; 
  the 
  vents 
  are 
  

   small, 
  "5 
  to 
  1 
  millim. 
  across, 
  placed 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  fronds. 
  The 
  

   primary 
  fibres 
  are 
  strongly 
  sand- 
  cored 
  for 
  some 
  distance 
  below 
  the 
  

   surface, 
  but 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  sand 
  occurs 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  frond. 
  

   Var. 
  complexa 
  of 
  Hyatt 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  founded 
  on 
  fresh 
  specimens, 
  

   whereas 
  his 
  typical 
  form 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  sufi'ered 
  from 
  abrasion. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Glorioso 
  Islands, 
  beach. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  Australian 
  seas 
  {Lamarck) 
  ; 
  Mauritius 
  ( 
  Garter) 
  ; 
  

   Zanzibar 
  {Hyatt). 
  

  

  Ohs. 
  I 
  have 
  had 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  being 
  able 
  to 
  examine 
  original 
  

   specimens 
  of 
  Carter 
  and 
  Lamarck 
  while 
  making 
  my 
  identification. 
  

  

  HIRCINIID^. 
  

  

  9. 
  Hircinia 
  fusca. 
  

  

  Carter, 
  Ann. 
  ^ 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  H. 
  1880, 
  vi. 
  p. 
  36. 
  

  

  Branched 
  cylindrical 
  solid 
  stems, 
  8 
  millim. 
  in 
  mean 
  diameter, 
  

   becoming 
  somewhat 
  dilated 
  at 
  the 
  ends 
  ; 
  conuli 
  of 
  skeleton 
  only 
  

   about 
  1 
  millim. 
  high. 
  Central 
  core 
  of 
  foreign 
  bodies 
  in 
  primary 
  and 
  

   secondary 
  fibres 
  not 
  large, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  absent 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  ; 
  

   fibres 
  also 
  coated 
  in 
  places 
  with 
  foreign 
  bodies 
  ; 
  diameter 
  of 
  pri- 
  

   maries 
  about 
  'IS 
  millim., 
  of 
  secondaries 
  '1 
  millim. 
  Mr. 
  Carter's 
  

   description 
  is 
  extremely 
  short, 
  but 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  sufiicient 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  identification. 
  A 
  skeleton 
  occurs 
  in 
  the 
  

   present 
  collection. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Boudeuse 
  Island, 
  Amirante 
  group, 
  10 
  fms. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  Ceylon 
  {Garter). 
  

  

  10. 
  Hircinia 
  byssoides. 
  

   Spongia 
  byssoides, 
  Lamarck, 
  Ann. 
  Miis. 
  Hist, 
  Nat. 
  xx. 
  p, 
  375. 
  

  

  Some 
  small 
  horizontally-spreading 
  sessile 
  specimens, 
  about 
  4 
  

   millim. 
  in 
  thickness 
  and 
  30-40 
  millim. 
  in 
  greatest 
  diameter. 
  Texture 
  

   in 
  spirit, 
  with 
  sarcode 
  attached, 
  harsh, 
  firm. 
  Primary 
  fibres 
  cored 
  

   at 
  intervals 
  with 
  small 
  core 
  of 
  foreign 
  bodies, 
  about 
  -07 
  to 
  -1 
  millim. 
  

   wide 
  ; 
  all 
  fibres 
  strongly 
  laminate, 
  of 
  light 
  to 
  dark 
  amber-yellow 
  

   colour. 
  Diameter 
  of 
  primary 
  fibres 
  '1 
  to 
  '24 
  millim., 
  of 
  secondaries 
  

   •1 
  to 
  -14 
  miUim. 
  There 
  is 
  also 
  an 
  intermediate 
  system 
  of 
  narrow 
  

   uncored 
  fibres, 
  -035 
  to 
  "05 
  millim. 
  wide. 
  Colour 
  (in 
  spirit) 
  black. 
  

   Conuli 
  about 
  1 
  millim. 
  high, 
  2 
  millim. 
  apart. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  agrees 
  fairly 
  well 
  with 
  Lamarck's 
  species, 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  

   have 
  examined 
  a 
  specimen, 
  but 
  the 
  fibre 
  is 
  decidedly 
  stouter. 
  The 
  

   form 
  is 
  rather 
  that 
  of 
  his 
  var. 
  p, 
  which 
  is 
  described 
  in 
  the 
  words 
  

   " 
  massis 
  planulatis"; 
  the 
  original 
  specimen 
  of 
  this 
  in 
  the 
  Paris 
  

   Museum 
  is 
  firm 
  and 
  harsh 
  to 
  the 
  touch, 
  like 
  the 
  present 
  specimen. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Glorioso 
  Islands, 
  Seychelle 
  Islands, 
  7-12 
  fms. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  Southern 
  Seas 
  or 
  Australia 
  {Lamarch). 
  

  

  