﻿SPONGIIDA. 
  597 
  

  

  11. 
  Hircinia, 
  sp. 
  

  

  The 
  same 
  species 
  as 
  the 
  unnamed 
  Hircinia 
  mentioned 
  in 
  Part 
  I. 
  

   of 
  this 
  Eeport. 
  p. 
  387. 
  

  

  A 
  flattened 
  specimen. 
  The 
  secondary 
  fihres 
  are 
  somewhat 
  stouter 
  

   and 
  darker 
  in 
  colour 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  Australian 
  specimen, 
  and 
  the 
  pri- 
  

   maries 
  contain 
  less 
  sand. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Seychelle 
  Islands, 
  4-12 
  fms. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  See 
  Part 
  I. 
  of 
  this 
  Report, 
  p. 
  387. 
  

  

  DYSIDEIDJE. 
  

  

  Difsidea 
  has 
  a 
  remarkably 
  wide 
  range 
  in 
  latitude, 
  its 
  localities 
  

   including 
  (among 
  others) 
  Iceland 
  and 
  England 
  in 
  the 
  North 
  

   Atlantic, 
  the 
  West 
  Indies 
  in 
  the 
  tropical 
  Atlantic, 
  the 
  Cape 
  and 
  South 
  

   Australia 
  in 
  the 
  Southern 
  Ocean, 
  the 
  Western 
  Indian 
  Ocean 
  and 
  

   the 
  North 
  of 
  Australia 
  in 
  the 
  tropical 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Indo-Pacific 
  

   area. 
  While, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  it 
  is 
  abundant 
  in 
  individuals 
  in 
  

   temperate 
  waters 
  (as 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  on 
  the 
  British 
  coasts), 
  it 
  appears 
  to 
  

   be 
  more 
  prolific 
  in 
  species 
  in 
  subtropical 
  and 
  tropical 
  waters 
  (Mediter- 
  

   ranean 
  and 
  Indian 
  Ocean). 
  Two 
  species 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  district 
  at 
  

   present 
  under 
  notice, 
  and 
  four 
  others 
  were 
  obtained 
  by 
  the 
  'Alert 
  ' 
  

   off 
  the 
  Australian 
  coast. 
  The 
  other 
  genera 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  much 
  more 
  

   limited 
  in 
  range 
  : 
  Psammopemma, 
  Marshall, 
  was 
  but 
  once 
  obtained 
  by 
  

   the 
  ' 
  Alert 
  ' 
  (viz. 
  in 
  Torres 
  Straits). 
  Psammoclema 
  and 
  Psammascus, 
  

   id., 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  recognized 
  in 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  ' 
  Alert 
  ' 
  collections. 
  

  

  12. 
  Dysidea 
  conica. 
  

  

  Bowerbank, 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  187-3, 
  p. 
  26, 
  pi. 
  vi. 
  fig. 
  1. 
  

  

  To 
  this 
  species, 
  so 
  fuUy 
  described 
  by 
  Bowerbank, 
  I 
  assign 
  a 
  frag- 
  

   mentary 
  Dysideid 
  closely 
  resembling 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  specimen 
  figured 
  by 
  

   him, 
  also 
  some 
  skeletons. 
  Although 
  the 
  mesoderm 
  contains 
  abundant 
  

   foreign 
  bodies, 
  the 
  species 
  does 
  not 
  fall 
  into 
  either 
  of 
  the 
  genera 
  

   Psammascus 
  and 
  Psammoclema, 
  which 
  Marshall 
  has 
  formed 
  for 
  

   Dysideidae 
  exhibiting 
  this 
  character, 
  as 
  it 
  has 
  neither 
  the 
  tubular 
  

   form 
  of 
  the 
  one 
  nor 
  the 
  smooth 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  other, 
  but 
  agrees 
  with 
  

   Dysidea 
  in 
  its 
  well-developed 
  conuli. 
  The 
  dermis 
  is 
  dark 
  to 
  the 
  

   naked 
  eye, 
  but 
  is 
  transparent 
  under 
  the 
  microscope. 
  It 
  is 
  infested 
  

   by 
  a 
  SpongiopJiaga 
  (Carter), 
  of 
  large 
  size, 
  the 
  head 
  measuring 
  about 
  

   •012 
  and 
  the 
  filament 
  about 
  "009 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Glorioso 
  Islands, 
  7-10 
  fms. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  N.W. 
  Ceylon, 
  8 
  fms. 
  {Bovwrbanl-). 
  

  

  13. 
  Dysidea 
  gumminea. 
  (Plate 
  LIII. 
  fig. 
  C.) 
  

  

  ? 
  Dysidea 
  kirki, 
  pars, 
  Carter, 
  Ann. 
  Sf 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  H. 
  1881, 
  vii. 
  p. 
  374, 
  

   nee 
  Botoerbank. 
  

  

  A 
  species 
  bearing 
  a 
  close 
  external 
  resemblance 
  to 
  D. 
  conica. 
  

  

  