72 CHONDEILLA. — CHONDROSIA. 



rough by the projecting papillae, which stand very close together; these 

 papillae are spherical and attached by a broad base ; they appear as two- 

 thirds of spheres and stand so close together that the spaces between them 

 are always smaller than their own diameter. The colour of this species in 

 spirit is a uniform light melange or brown ; the interior has the same colour 

 as the surface, only in a lighter shade. 



In internal structure this sponge shows no aberrant peculiarity. The 

 spicules are of two kinds : — There are spherical spicules with short, 

 sharp, conic spines ; and stellate spicules with slender, conic, serrated 

 spines. The sjjherical sjncule measures 0'019 millim., the spines 0'003 x 

 0-002 millim. ; the stellate spicule measures 0-013 millim., the spines O'OOS x 

 0-0015 millim. Both kinds of spicules are met with somewhat sparsely scat- 

 tered through the whole of the sponge ; in the papillae, however, the spicules 

 are massed, so that the distance between the spheres is about equal to their 

 diameter ; the spicules lie here three or four layers deep. In this part of the 

 sponge the spherical spicules predominate very much over the stellate ones ; 

 in the pulpa the dilference in percentage of the two is slight ; if there is any 

 perceptible difference the stellate form predominates. 



Geogbaphical Distribution. — East coast of Australia : Port Jackson, 

 N. S.W. {Ramsay). 



Famiha CHONDROSIDiE. 

 Oligosiliciiia without microsclera, with a distinct cortical layer. 



Genus CHONDROSIA. 



Chondrosidse with a smooth surface ; the oscula without 

 serrated frills. 



Chondrosia ramsayi, Lendenfeld. 



Chondrosia ramsayi, E. v. Lendenfeld, " A Monograph of the Australian 

 Sponges, Part IV.— II. Ordo Myxospongia, HaecM,'" Proceedings of the 

 Linnean Society of New South Wales, vol. x. part 1, p. 147 (1885). 



I dedicate this species to the Curator of the Australian Museum. 



Plat irregular massive sponges, attached to rocks &e. at a few points of 

 the lower surface only, generally having the shape of convex lamell^B, the 

 convex side being uppermost. The lamella attains a size of 40x30 millim., 



