2 ARTHITE DENDY. 



for a large series of duplicate pieces of named sponges from 

 the British Museum collection^ most kindly sent to me since 

 I left England. 



It is hoped that the final account of the collection will be 

 embodied in one of a series of reports on the marine zoology 

 of Port Phillip, which it is intended to publish under the 

 auspices of the Port Phillip Exploration Committee of the 

 B/Oyal Society of Victoria, Meanwhile, even during the pre- 

 liminary arrangement of the collectioUj forms are constantly 

 being met with which deserve special anatomical investigation. 

 One such I have already described in the present series of 

 studies (2) ; and I hope, as time permits, to be able to deal 

 similarly with a number of others. 



The more one studies the group, the more is one convinced 

 of the necessity of thorough and minute anatomical investiga- 

 tion as a basis for classification. Especially in the present 

 transitional state of our knowledge of the sponges anatomical 

 investigation must precede systematic work ; and the greater 

 the number of types selected for such investigation^ the greater 

 will be the value of the scheme of classification ultimately 

 arrived at. Polymorphism and homoplasy occur so generally 

 and to such an extraordinary degree amongst the Porifera, that 

 true genetic relationships can be determined only by most 

 careful examination of the internal anatomy, and especially of 

 the skeleton and canal system, although even these systems 

 are by no means exempt from the general rule. 



The sponge which forms the principal subject of the present 

 contribution is a large and singularly beautiful calcisponge, 

 originally described (3) by Mr. Carter under the name Tei- 

 chonella labyrinthica. As Mr. Carter subsequently dis- 

 covered, the sponge is very far removed from the genus 

 Teichonella, and must be placed amongst the Sycons, where 

 for the present^ at any rate, it may be classed in the genus 

 Grantia.^ 



The material at my disposal for investigating this sponge 

 consisted principally of a number of fine adult specimens col- 

 ' Vide Vosmaer's diagnosis of this (20). 



