HINDIA. 157 
Family.— ANOMOCLADINA. 
Genus.—Hunpia, Duncan. 
39. Hinpia pumita, Hinde, sp. nov. Plate V, figs. 8, 8a—8f. 
1880. Lrrnisrrp (? Tripod-like surface spicule of unknown species), Carter. Ann. 
and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 5, vol. vi, pl. xiv, figs. 10, 11. 
1883. DoryDERMA DALRYENSE (in part), Hinde. Cat. Foss. Sponges, p. 210, 
pl. xxxviii, figs. 7 e—7 g. 
Entire Sponge unknown, the skeletal-spicules included in the species are, for 
the most part, tripodal in form, with a compressed triangular central node, from 
which three, short, cylindrical, straight or curved rays are given off. The rays 
terminate in flattened or concave, circular or ovate expansions. In some instances 
one of the rays furcates, so that the spicule consists of four rays. The central 
node is flattened or slightly convex above, and generally smooth and even, but in 
one specimen a small central wart is present. The spicular rays vary from ‘2 to 
°35 mm. in length by ‘09 mm. in thickness. 
In their peculiar tripodal form these spicules so closely resemble those of 
Hindia fibrosa, the typical species of the genus, that they may reasonably be 
included in it. They are, however, considerably larger than those of the type 
form, and further differ in the absence of the fourth or truncated ray, which in 
most, if not in all the spicules of Hindia fibrosa, projects upwards from the centre 
of the spicular node. It is possible that even in this latter species the fourth ray 
may be in some instances altogether suppressed, and its absence in these Carbo- 
niferous spicules is not sufficient to exclude them from the genus. 
I had previously placed these detached spicules under Doryderma, but after 
seeing a larger series of them, and comparing them with the spicules of Hindia 
fibrosa, which I have lately obtained in a similarly detached condition, it seems 
preferable to remove them to the present genus. The spicules occur in the 
decayed chert of Ben Bulben, they are siliceous and in the same state of preserva- 
tion as the hexactinellid spicules with which they are associated. Fragmentary 
spicules allied to the Ben Bulben forms, if not identical with them, are also present 
in the Sponge-beds at Richmond, Yorkshire. 
Distribution —Upper Limestones of the Carboniferous series ; Ben Bulben, near 
Sligo, Ireland (J. Wright). 
