CUALIKOPSILLA. 105 



when alive, of a light greyish-brown colour. The skeleton is light chestnur- 

 brown. The sponge is very soft and can be compressed between the fingers 

 to the thickness of paper with ease. It is not very elastic. 



The skeleton is destitute of foreign bodies. The surface-skeleton consists of 

 a superficially extending network of stout fibres, which are 0-07 miUim. thick 

 and which connect the distal ends of the main fibres of the supporting-skeleton 

 in straight lines. As most of the adjacent main fibres are thus connected a 

 network with pretty regular triangular meshes is produced, which are on an 

 average 0*8 millim wide. They are occupied by a very fine net of secondary 

 fibres, which are perpendicular to the primary fibres and ramify to a certain 

 extent. These secondaries are 0-02 millim. thick, and the rather irregular 

 meshes which they form 0"16 millim. wide. Usually four or five primary fibres 

 radiate from the end of each main fibre ; sometimes, however, there are as 

 few as two ; very rarely six are observed, never more. , 



The supporting-skeleton consists of longitudinal main fibres, which are on 

 an average 0*5 millim. apart in the interior of the sponge, but become more 

 distant towards the surface, which they reach in graceful curves and on which 

 they abut perpendicularly. The main fibres are 0*17 mUlim. thick ; they are 

 connected by mostly simple perpendicular connecting-fibres, which are 0"05 

 millim. thick and about as far apart as the main fibres, so that the meshes 

 formed by the network of the supporting-skeleton generally appear more or 

 less quadratic. The connecting-fibres are joined to the mam fibres by wide 

 trumpet-shaped extensions of their bases, so that the surface of the main 

 fibre appears drawn out to form the connecting-fibres, and is thus rendered 

 very irregular and uneven. 



Geographical Distribution. — East coast of Australia : Queensland {Ram- 

 say). New Zealand : Port Chalmers {Parker). 



Chalinopsilla gracilis^ Vosmaer. 



Velina; gracilis, G. Vosmaer, " Studies on Sponges. — I. Velince gracilis" Mit- 

 theilungeu der Zoologischen Station in Neapel, Band_iv. Seite 437 (1883), 



Long, cylindrical, straight tubes, widened towards the upper end, in small 

 bunches of 2-10, attached by a narrow base. These tubes are erect and gene- 

 rally coalesce in their lower portions for some distance. Their proximal part 

 often appears solid and only the distal portion tubular. Exceptionally they 

 attain a height of 400 millim. and a width of 40 millim. Ordinary specimens- 

 are about half that size. The terminal vent — a praeosculum — occupies the 

 whole of the terminal face, leaving only a narrow and sharp margin round it. 

 The outer surface is smooth ; the oscula are confined to the inner side — the 

 \\all of the central ca\ity. Alive the sponge is greyish purple ; the dry skeleton 



