Genera Axinella, Phakellia, Acanthella a. o. 313 
form anastomoses, we find large portions of the sponge entirely 
destitute of spicules (Taf. 16 Fig. 3). 
IV. Phacanthina. 
This new genus I establish for Acanthella obtusa of Oscar 
ScHMmiDT. In Phacanthina no distinction can be made between an 
axial and an extra-axial part of the skeleton. Herein it agrees with 
Acanthella, it also agrees with the latter by the way the latter 
branches, without anastomosing. But in Phacanthina there is still 
less spongin, uniting spicules, and the long styli project everywhere 
far beyond their branch. The result is that all the branches are 
very hirsute indeed and that the places, where no spicules occur are 
far less than in Acanthella (Taf. 16 Fig. 1 and 2). This is also partly 
due to the fact that on the whole the branches in splitting up, do 
not diverge so strongly as in Acanthella (compare Fig. 1 and 3 on 
Taf. 16). Although I suppose these differences important enouch 
to justify a generic distinction, I may add perhaps that the canal- 
system in both genera is likewise different. 
V. Raspailia. 
accepted rules of nomenclature ScHmiprT correctly changed NArDo's 
Raspelia or Raspaila into Raspailia; we will, therefore, use the latter 
orthography. About fifty “species” are described by various authors, 
but it is quite certain that some of these do not belong to the genus; 
others are insufficiently described. Moreover a great many synonyms 
are among them. I cannot enter into discussion about this point; 
the question is fully worked out in my Monograph of the Sponges 
of Naples (in M. S.). For my present purpose it is sufficient to 
say, that I take as types of the genus such specimens as correspond 
to R. viminalis of OSCAR SCHMIDT. 
We find then that the skeleton consists of a firm axis, which 
is composed of a network of funiculi — spieules wholly or almost 
wholy imbedded in spongin, forming together a funis. This funis 
represents the axis. Its meshes are wide; the funiculi thin (Taf. 15 
Fig. 5). At about right angles funieuli start, composed of one, two 
or three spiceules, kept together by a smaller or greater quantity 
of spongin. They terminate into one single large style, projecting 
far beyond the sponge surface. Frequently the extra-axial funiculi 
Pıck (1905, p. 7) has stated that; according to the generally 
