PLECTISPA. CLATFIRIOPSAMMA. 227 



thick. The fibres are pretty abundantly echinated by slightly spined or rough 

 styli, 0-07 millim. long and 0-006 millim. thick. 



Geographical Disteibution. — North coast of Australia : Torres Straits 

 (Macleay). 



Genus CLATHRIOPSAMMA, n. gen. 



Desmacidonidse with a sand-cortex and a skeleton composed of 

 horny fibres, charged with foreign spicule-fragments and echinated 

 by smooth styli. 



Clathriopsamma lobosa, u. sp. 



Irregularly ramified, exceedingly hard sponges, with a smooth surface. The 

 branches are cylindrical, and often terminally thickened and rounded at the 

 end; they attain a thickness of 25 millim. 



The skeleton consists of longitudinal main fibres 0-1 millim. thick, and simple 

 transverse connecting-fibres 0*03 millim. thiclv. Abundant foreign bodies are 

 found in both. The fibres are echinated by spined styli, 1*05 millim. loug 

 and 0'006 millim. thick, which are fairly abundant. 



The position of this species appears somewhat doubtful ; it shows affinities 

 to the genus Aulena. 



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

 N. S. W. (Lendenfeld). 



Clathriopsamma reticulata, n. sp. 



Eepent sponges, which consist of a reticulate mass of smooth cylindrical 

 processes about 5 millim. thick. 



The skeleton consists of a network of fibres 0-12 millim. thick, with meshes 

 on an average 0*3 millim. wide. The fibres contain irregularly disposed styli 

 of varying dimensions. They are echinated by very spiny and stout styli, 0-05 

 millim, long and 0-009 millim. thick, which are fairly abundant. 



Geographical Distribution. — East coast of Australia {Itammy). 



Eamilia AULENID^. 



Reticulate Cornacuspongise with a skeleton composed of stout 

 fibres, which form a network with small meshes. Ciliated cham- 

 bers small, spherical. Ground-substance transparent. Witliout 



q2 



