PSAMMOPEMMA. — SPONGELIA. 205 



Genus PSAMMOPEMMA. 



Spongelidae with a skeleton composed of abundant large sand- 

 grains, which are partly joined by slender spongin-fibres. Without 

 proper spicules. 



Psammopemma rugosum, u. sp. 



Erect lamellar sponges, which attain a height of 150 millim. and a thickness 

 of 20 millim. The surface is covered with irregular longitudinally extending 

 rugose protuberances, on an average 5 millim, broad and 3 millim. high. The 

 oscula are 3-4 millim. wide, and confined to the prominent parts of the sponge ; 

 they are not very numerous. The living sponge is dull brick-red ; dry speci- 

 mens are dirty brown, pretty hard, but friable. 



The skeleton consists of longitudinal bands of large sand-grains, 1 millim. 

 thick, which are connected by transverse arenaceous fibres 0*003 millim. thick, 

 in which the amount of spongin is comparatively great. The sand-grains in 

 the longitudinal bands are for the most part isolated, although some of them 

 appear cemented by a very small quantity of spongin where they come in con- 

 tact with each other. A very remarkable and uniform network of fibres, 0'006 

 millim. thick, with meshes 0*06 millim. wide, pervades the whole of the ground- 

 substance. I am rather doubtful about the nature of this reticulation. The 

 fibres do not seem to consist of spongin, but are somewhat granular. It may 

 possibly be the result of shrinkage, as the specimens at my disposal were not 

 well preserved. 



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

 N. S. W. {Lendenfeld). 



Genus SPONGELIA. 



Spongelidae with a skeleton composed of areniferous fibres ; 

 without proper spicules. 



Spongelia spinifera, F. E. Schulze. 



Sjyoiujelia spinifera, E. E. Schulze, " TJntersuchungen iiber den Bau und die 

 Entwicklung der Spongien. — VI. Die Gattung Spongelia" Zeitschrift 

 fiir wissenschaftliche Zoologie, Band xxxii. Seite 152 (1879). 



Spongelia spinifera, var. ^^ari'M-ovcH^rtio, X. de Polejaeff, Eeports on the Scien- 



