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two specimens for your Museum, some account of tliem may be 

 interesting to tlie members of tbe Society. This elegant 

 generic form of reticulate alcyonoid sponge was first described 

 by Professor Owen, in 1841, from a specimen brought from 

 the Philippine Islands by Mr. Hugh Cuming, and published 

 in the Transactions of the Zoological Society of London (vol. 

 3, 1849.) In a letter to Professor Owen, Mr. Cuming relates 

 how it was obtained, as follows : — "The Eiipleetdla brought 

 home by me from the Philippines, was taken by a fisherman, 

 in ten fathoms, rocky ground, off the Island of Bohol, one of 

 the Southern Islands of the Philippine Group. The fisherman 

 was employed in catching a species of cod which abounds in 

 those islands, and finding, after some time, the fish did not 

 take his bait, he drew up his line, when to his surprise he 

 found the specimen of Euplectella attached to his hook, near 

 the orifice, and fearing to injure it by disentangling the hook 

 from such a fragile substance, he cut out that portion to which 

 the hook was attached. On his arrival on shore, at St. 

 Nicholas de Zebu, he made a present of it to the Governor of 

 the town. On my arrival a few days after, I was introduced 

 to the Governor, who, upon knowing the object of my visit to 

 the island, presented me with it, as the greatest curiosity he 

 had to ofll^'er me, as he had never seen the like before. On my 

 showing it to the Bishop of that city, and the principal inhabi- 

 tants, they confirmed the opinion of its rarity exjiressed by 

 the Governor." This beautiful and singular marine production 

 forms part of a member of the lowest class of organised bodies, 

 being the skeleton of a species of sponge, belonging to the 

 cylindrical or reticulate, or alcyonoid family. " If," says 

 Professor Owen, " the basal aperture of the cone were open, the 

 resemblance to some of the known reticulate alcyonoid sponges 

 would be very close, especially to that called Alcyonellam 

 gelatinosum by Blainville, its closure by the reticulate 

 convex frilled cap, in the present instance establishes the 

 generic distinction ; and, in the exquisite beauty and regu- 

 larity of the texture of the walls of the cone, this species sur- 

 passes any of the allied productions that I have yet seen, or 

 found described. I propose, therefore, to name it Euplectella 

 asperrjillum" the generic name being derived from Eu, well ; 

 and Plecto, to weave. The specific name given by Professor 

 Owen, is simply a translation of the popular name by which it 

 is known among the fishermen at the Philippine Islands, who 

 call it " Eegadera," which means " Watering Pot," from the 

 resemblance of the reticulated cap at the upper end to the 

 spout of a watering pot ; but Dr. J. E. Gray has given to it, a 

 very pretty and appropriate popular name of " Venus's Flower 

 Basket." Euplectella is an excellent generic name, being 



