72 ETOHARD EVANS. 



Part I. — The Morphology, etc., of Ephydatia blembiiigia. 



I. Introduction. 



Ephydatia blembingia is a fresh-water sponge which 

 Mr, Aiinandale came across in a small pool of water while in 

 search of snails. It was collected and preserved by me on 

 the 23rd of July last year. 



The specific name blembingia has been applied to it on 

 account of its locality. Blembing is a small Malay village 

 which was visited by the members of an expedition sent out 

 by Cambridge University to the Siamese Malay States, and 

 which is situated on a small river of the same name. The 

 river Blembing is a tributary of the Pergau, which in its turn 

 empties itself into the Kelantan River. 



The pool of water in which the sponge, now described for 

 the first time, was found, was situated in a comparatively 

 dense jungle at a distance of a few yards from the bank of 

 the river. The trees growing around it were so big, and 

 their foliage so thick, as to admit of only a small amount of 

 light ever passing through them. Consequently the pool of 

 water in which Ephydatia blembingia was found was 

 always in a deep shade. 



The material which I collected was preserved in the following 

 reagents : 



(1) Flemming's solution (weak fluid). 



(2) Saturated solution of corrosive sublimate (92 volumes) 

 and glacial acetic acid (8 volumes). 



(3) Absolute alcohol. 



(4) Rectified 70 per cent, spirits. 



II. Desceiption of Ephydatia blembingia. 



(1) Colour, Habits of Growth, and External Form. — 

 Ephydatia blembingia is almost colourless, or to use a term 

 which was used many years ago by Professor Lankester (11) 

 to describe the colour of Spongilla from the Thames, it is 

 "^ pale flesh-coloured.'' KnoAving as we do that Spongilla 



