EAPHTRTJS. 61 



to this appear identical. Among the Australian sponges there are forms 

 which doubtlessly belong to the genus PapilUna, 0, Schmidt, whereas others 

 again appear very different from these and coincide with Bowerbank's 

 Raphyrus. All, however, contain, besides the tylostyli, short, spined strongyla. 

 I assume that these also occur in the European species, but escaped the 

 observation of Bowerbank and 0. Schmidt. I think that both these genera 

 should be retained. In Papillma the internal cavities are irregular and large ; 

 in Raphyrus they are very similar to the cells of a honeycomb, smaller, and 

 very regular. 



Raphyrus hixonii, Lendenfeld. 



(Plate I. fig. 3.) 



♦' Raphyrus hixonii, a new Gigantic Sponge from Port Jackson," Proceedings 

 of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, vol. x. (1886). 



The smaller specimens are irregular, bulbous, with several vents on the 

 upper convex surface. The large specimen is massive, expanded above, 

 and was attached to the sand of the sea-bottom by a flat expanded 

 base, 300 millim. broad ; it extends above ; the upper surface is uneven 

 and horizontal. Seen from above the outline appears very irregular, with 

 lobose projections beyond a circular circumference. The sponge measures 

 about 600 millim. in width and 350 millim. in height ; there are massive serai- 

 spherical projections over the sides and upper surface ; the latter are particu- 

 larly regular and well defined. These protuberances extend 50 millim. over 

 the depressions between them, and are 120 millim. broad. In the large speci- 

 men there are nine such protuberances on the upper side, in the centre of each 

 of which a vent is situated. In the smaller specimens these vents are scattered 

 over the smooth and uniform surface of the convex upper side ; in the large 

 specimen they are found in the centres of the upper protuberances. These 

 vents lead into short conic tubes, which are not oscula, but prffi-oscula. In 

 the large specimen there are, according to the above, nine such tubes, 

 260 millim. long, and at the mouth 30 millim. wide ; they are straight, 

 but not regularly conic, as occasionally there are extensions halfway 

 down, whereby their diameter may be locally increased to 50 millim. 

 All these tubes are vertical and open on the upper, expanded surface on 

 the summits of the protuberances. The sponge weighed, when fresh, about 

 100 kilog. ; now that it has been dried it weighs about 14 kilog. Alive, in 

 spirit, and dry the sponge is very hard, a pressure of 70 kilog. in no way 

 affects a surface of 50 sq. centim. The colour in the living state is a 

 very bright red, similar to rosanilin red ; in spirit the sponge becomes pale 

 flesh coloured, and dried it is brown. The spirit extracts a deep orange- 



