﻿622 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  THE 
  WESTERN 
  INDIAN 
  OCEAN. 
  

  

  44. 
  Suberites, 
  sp. 
  

  

  A 
  dull 
  red-brown, 
  smooth, 
  incrusting 
  film, 
  about 
  '5 
  millim. 
  thick 
  ; 
  

   the 
  closelj'-set 
  spiiiulate 
  spicules 
  measure 
  about 
  '8 
  by 
  '02 
  millim. 
  ; 
  

   the 
  head 
  is 
  distinct, 
  suboval, 
  approaching 
  a 
  globular 
  form, 
  and 
  

   of 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  diameter 
  as 
  the 
  shaft. 
  No 
  other 
  spicule. 
  The 
  

   species 
  is 
  perhaps 
  nearly 
  allied 
  to 
  S. 
  autarcticiis, 
  Carter. 
  

  

  Hab, 
  SeycheUe 
  Islands, 
  12 
  fms. 
  

  

  45. 
  Vioa 
  sclimidti. 
  

  

  Vioa 
  johnstoni, 
  var., 
  Schmidt, 
  Sponcf. 
  Atl. 
  Oeh. 
  p. 
  5, 
  

  

  Vioa 
  schmidti, 
  Ridley, 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  1881, 
  p. 
  130. 
  

  

  Vioa 
  Schmidtii, 
  Carter, 
  Ann. 
  Sf 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  H. 
  1882, 
  ix. 
  p. 
  354. 
  

  

  The 
  specimen 
  agrees 
  with 
  Schmidt's 
  species 
  from 
  the 
  Bocche 
  di 
  

   Cattaro 
  (Adriatic), 
  which 
  Mr. 
  Carter 
  and 
  myself 
  have 
  agreed 
  in 
  

   considering 
  distinct 
  from 
  the 
  original 
  V. 
  jolinstoni 
  from 
  Sebenico. 
  

   As 
  the 
  species 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  fully 
  described, 
  I 
  give 
  a 
  description 
  

   of 
  the 
  present 
  specimen. 
  

  

  Main 
  cavities 
  formed 
  by 
  sponge 
  botryoidal, 
  wide. 
  Colour 
  of 
  sponge 
  

   bright 
  piuk 
  to 
  crimson. 
  Vent- 
  and 
  pore-areas 
  '5 
  to 
  1*5 
  millim. 
  in 
  

   diameter. 
  Barcode 
  pale 
  pink, 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  very 
  difi"usely 
  coloured, 
  

   transparent. 
  Spicules 
  : 
  — 
  (1) 
  Spinulate, 
  smooth, 
  straight 
  or 
  slightly 
  

   curved, 
  tapering 
  gradually 
  to 
  sharp 
  point 
  ; 
  head 
  large, 
  oval, 
  longitu- 
  

   dinally 
  elongate, 
  distinguished 
  from 
  shaft 
  by 
  distinct 
  neck, 
  the 
  

   diameter 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  '006 
  millim. 
  ; 
  length 
  of 
  spicule 
  "28 
  millim., 
  

   diameter 
  of 
  shaft 
  '008 
  millim., 
  of 
  head 
  (transverse) 
  'OOOS 
  millim. 
  

   (2) 
  Spinispirular, 
  stout, 
  with 
  4-6 
  sharp 
  bends 
  ; 
  spines 
  sharp, 
  

   arranged 
  in 
  regular 
  uniserial 
  spirals, 
  5 
  or 
  6 
  to 
  a 
  bend, 
  length 
  the 
  

   same 
  as 
  thickness 
  of 
  the 
  shaft 
  ; 
  size 
  of 
  spicule 
  "05 
  by 
  '006 
  millim. 
  

   (excluding 
  spines). 
  (3) 
  Spinispirular, 
  slender, 
  with 
  about 
  8-10 
  

   gradual 
  bends, 
  5 
  or 
  6 
  to 
  a 
  bend 
  ; 
  size 
  of 
  spicule 
  -075 
  by 
  '002 
  to 
  -0042 
  

   millim. 
  (excluding 
  spines). 
  Spicule 
  no. 
  1 
  is 
  generally 
  loosely 
  scat- 
  

   tered 
  ; 
  no. 
  3 
  sometimes 
  aggregated 
  in 
  dense 
  masses. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Eagle 
  Island, 
  Amirante 
  group, 
  10 
  fms. 
  (in 
  base 
  of 
  lobate 
  

   Madrepora). 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  Adriatic 
  (Schmidt). 
  

  

  The 
  stout 
  spinispirular 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  normally 
  confined 
  to 
  that 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  sponge 
  which 
  is 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  matrix, 
  the 
  slender 
  one 
  to 
  

   occupy 
  the 
  internal 
  sarcode 
  ; 
  but 
  they 
  also 
  occur 
  mixed. 
  Although 
  

   the 
  two 
  kinds 
  of 
  spinispirular 
  spicule 
  approach 
  each 
  other 
  somewhat 
  

   nearly 
  in 
  the 
  diameters 
  of 
  their 
  adult 
  forms, 
  yet 
  the 
  longer 
  spines 
  

   and 
  the 
  constantly 
  inferior 
  length 
  and 
  inferior 
  number 
  of 
  bends, 
  

   and 
  the 
  superior 
  sharpness 
  of 
  the 
  bends, 
  in 
  the 
  stouter 
  form 
  suf- 
  

   ficiently 
  distinguish 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  slender 
  form. 
  A 
  further 
  argument 
  

   against 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  forms 
  being 
  merely 
  stages 
  of 
  

   growth 
  of 
  one 
  spicule 
  is 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  more 
  slender 
  

   form 
  (which, 
  from 
  the 
  analogy 
  of 
  siliceous 
  sponge-spicules 
  generally, 
  

   would 
  on 
  this 
  hypothesis 
  be 
  the 
  young 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  other) 
  is 
  actually 
  

  

  