PREFACE. 



Dr. Lendenfeld was entrusted with the compilation of a descriptive Catalogue 

 of the Sponges in the Australian Museum by the Trustees of this Institution 

 in 1885, as on account of his previous knowledge of the subject he was 

 considered specially competent to do the work ; and a workroom was provided 

 at the Museum fitted with all necessary facilities. The Collections, however, 

 were found to be so extensive, and the number of new forms obtained by 

 almost weekly dredging-operations during the continuance of the work was 

 so large, that the Catalogue assumed much greater dimensions than was 

 originally expected. 



After a careful examination the whole collection was put in order, and 

 by the beginning of 1886 all the good specimens were numbered and provided 

 with preliminary names. The Author's change of residence from Sydney to 

 London, early in that year, somewhat retarded the progress of the work ; but 

 he considers that the loss of time was amply made up by the advantage he 

 enjoyed of being able to study the collections in the British Museum, and to 

 compare the types of other authors with the Ausfralian Sponges. He is 

 therefore able to present this Catalogue in a form which would not other- 

 wise have been attainable. 



