PERONELLA. 175 
Distribution.—Carboniferous : Upper part of the Lower-Limestone series, Law, 
Dalry. Lower part of lower-Limestone series, Crawfield, Kilbirnie. From shale 
above the Linn-Spout limestone at Stacklawhill, Stewarton. (J. Smith, J. Bennie.) 
Order.—CaLCISPONGIA, 
Family.—PHARETRONES. 
Genus.—PrroneELLA, Zittel. 
1878. Studien iiber fossile Spongien. Abhandl. derk. bayer. Akademie der Wiss., 
Cl. ii, Bd. xiii, Abth. ii, p. 120. 
Syn.—Sceyphia, Siphonia, Spongia, Auct.; Eudea (in part), Hippalimus (in part), 
PD Orbigny ; Siphonoccelia (in part), Polyecelia (in part), Disccelia (in part), Steno- 
ceelia, Fromentel; Pareudea (in part), Etallon ; Dendroccelia, Laube ; Coeloconia, 
Dyoconia, Gymnorea, Plioccelia, Siphonoccelia, Leenocoelia, Pomel; Spongites, 
Dermispongia, Radicispongia, Qwenstedt. 
Sponges simple or branching from buds, the individual forms are cylindrical, 
with a simple tubular cloaca which extends to the base of the Sponge. The basal 
portion occasionally with a smooth or corrugated dermal layer, the upper portion 
of the Sponge usually without a special membrane over the fibres. The circulation 
appears to have been carried on through the irregular interspaces of the skeletal- 
fibres, and special canals are not indicated in the skeleton. The anastomosing fibres 
form an irregular meshwork ; they consist of three- and four-rayed spicules, of large 
and moderate dimensions, which are disposed approximately in the axial centre of 
the fibre, and are surrounded by similar but smaller spicules. Uniaxial spicules 
may possibly be also present. 
This genus is stated to make its first appearance in the Devonian formation, and 
Prof. v. Zittel has referred to it Scyphia conoidea, Goldfuss, and Scyphia constricta, 
Sandberger. The spicular structure of these forms has, however, not yet been 
recognised, and it is not until reaching Jurassic strata that we find examples of 
Peronella in which the spicular structure of the fibres has been preserved. In 
calcareous shales of Carboniferous age from the East of Scotland Mr. James Bennie 
has found detached spicules, which in form, size, and mineral structure, correspond 
very closely with spicules of Peronella, and I therefore refer them provisionally to 
this genus. 
