APLT8INA. 



153 



Sometimes there are also smaller oscula on the sides of the digitate processes. 

 The surface is covered with very large, pretty sharp, and very slender conuli, 

 10-14 millim. high and about 5 mOlim. apart. 



The sponge is dull grey in spirit, the dry skeleton pretty soft and elastic. 



The skeleton consists of longitudinal irregularly ramifying fibres, which are 

 0-1 millim. thick, and contain more or less abundant spicule-fragments. The 

 branches are 0'04-0-08 millim. thick, contain fewer spicule-fragments, and 

 anastomose to form a network with meshes about 1 millim. wide. The pith 

 forms yV of *^^ fibres. 



Geographical Distribution. — South coast of Australia ; Port Phillip, V. 

 (Lendenfeld). East coast of Australia : Port Jackson, N. S. W. {Lendenfeld). 



Aplysina cacos, n. sp. 



Cake-shaped sponges, attaining a breadth of 100 millim. and a height of 70 

 millim. Prom the upper surface digitate processes arise, on the summits of 

 which the oscula are situated terminally. These processes are 10 millim. 

 thick, and coalesce for the greater part of their length. 



The skeleton consists of an exceedingly loose network of longitudinal 

 areniferous fibres 0*5 millim. thick, and transverse fibres 0-14 millim. thick, 

 which contain only few foreign bodies. 



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

 N. S. W. (Lendenfeld). 



Aplysina crassa, Hyatt. 



Aplysina fusca, H.|^J. Carter, " Eeport on the Sponges dredged up from the 



Gulf of Manaar," Annals and Magazine of Natural History, ser. 5, 



vol. vi. p. 458 (1880). 

 Aplysina fusca, H. J. Carter, " Contributions to our Eaiowledge of the 



Spongida," Annals and Magazine of Natural History, ser. 5, vol. viii. 



p. 105 (1881). 

 Aplysina fusca, S. O. Eidley, " Spongiida : " Eeport on the Collections made 



in the Indo-Pacific Ocean during the Voyage of H.M.S. ' Alert,' p. 60O 



(1884). 

 Dendrospongia crassa, A. Hyatt, " Eevision of the North-American PorifersD. — 



Part I.," Memoirs of the Boston Society, vol. i. p. 402 (1874). 



Digitate, solid, or hollow tubular sponges which attain a height of 150 

 millim. The digitate processes are cylindrical, curved, and about 25 millim. 

 thick. The surface is covered with irregular conuli, 2 millim. high and 6 

 millim. apart. The oscula are large and scattered in the solid forms, and 

 terminally situated in the tubular ones. 



