148 THOBECTA. 



West coast of Australia : Western Australia {Baily). South coast of Aus- 

 tralia : St. Viucent Gulf, S. A, (Uaacl-e). East coast of Australia : lUawarra, 

 N. S.W. (British Museum Coll.); Port Jackson, N. S. W. (Lendenfeld). 



Thorecta gracillimus, u. sp. 



Cup-sbaped pedunculate sponges, which attain a height of 180 millim. and 

 a width of 90 millim. The margin %)f the cup, which is a little broader than 

 high, is regularly circular and lies in a horizontal plane. The wall of the cup 

 is 14 millim. thick ; it does not taper towards the margin, where it appears 

 rounded off. From the bottom of the cavity of the cup a canal originates, 

 which extends in the peduncle nearly down to the base. The whole structure 

 thus becomes like a champagne-glass. The oscula are 2*5 millim. wide and 

 confined to the inner side of the cup, where they are very abundant. 



The dry skeleton is light brown, transparent, with a golden lustre, and stiff. 



The main fibres of the skeleton are O'l millim. thick, very knotty, and cored 

 with a single row of exceedingly large sand-grains 0-6 millim. apart. The 

 connecting-fibres are curved and slightly branched, 0*04-0"05 millim. thick. 

 The meshes are irregular, 0*6-0*9 millim. wide. 



Geogkaphical Disteibution. — West coast of Australia : Freemautle,W. A. 



{Bowerhanlc Coll.). East coast of Australia (liamsay). 



Thorecta squalidus, n. sp. 



The sponge consists of a number of erect, more or less perpendicular, tubular 

 parts, which coalesce for the greater part of their length. These tubes are 

 generally situated in a row, so that the whole sponge attains a somewhat 

 flabelliform appearance. Protuberances project from the upper margins, on the 

 summits of which the oscula, 10-15 millim. wide, are situated. The whole 

 sponge attains a height of 200 millim. The tubular parts are 40 millim. thick ; 

 they coalesce near the broad base of attachment to form a continuous wall 

 40-50 millim. in thickness. 



The dry sTceleton is hard, slightly compressible, and elastic. It is composed 

 of main fibres 0*1 millim., and simple connecting-fibres 0"03-0*05 millim. thick. 

 Both kinds of fibre are free from foreign bodies, and show a very distinct 

 stratification of the spongin-layers. 



Geographical Disteibution. — South coast of Australia : Port Phillip, V. 

 (Lendenfeld). North coast of Australia : Northern Territory, S. A. (Ilaacl-e). 

 East coast of Australia : Port Jackson, N. S. W. {Ramsay). New Zealand : 

 Pjx't Chalmers (Parl-er). 



