Sponges from South Australia, 379 



PhaTcellia ventilabrum^ var. australiensis, n. var. 



Specimen flat, thin, wedge-shaped. Consistence firm. 

 Colour grej. Surface even, consisting of a thin, white der- 

 mal crust of small spicules arranged cribrately, covering both 

 sides of the frond and continuous over the margin, which is 

 round. Pores m the minute holes of the cribriform crust. 

 Vents not seen. Structure consisting of fine, dense, kerata- 

 ceous, spiculiferous fibre. Spicules of one form only, viz. a 

 simple acuate, of two sizes, coring the fibre and composing the 

 dermal layer respectively, much larger in the former than 

 in the latter. Size of specimen 7 in. high, 6 in. broad at the 

 upper margin, and 2-8ths in. thick. 



Log. Port Western. 



Obs. The sinuous spicule which is present in the British 

 species, viz. Pliakellia ventilabrum, is here absent. 



Phahellia papyracea (dry). 



riabelliform, more or less slit in through the margin or 

 lobed, very thin, papyraceous. Consistence tough, stem hard. 

 Surface of the lobes or divisions concentrically lineated. 

 Pores numerous, minute, general, undistinguishable in size 

 from the vents. Fibre tough, keratose, short-jointed, and 

 dense ; cored and subechinated by the spicules of the species. 

 Spicules of two forms, viz. : — 1, comparatively stout, smooth, 

 acuate, curved, varying in size under 50-6000ths in. long by 

 2-6000ths in. in its thickest part ; 2, thin, sub-pinlike, 60- 

 6000ths in. long by |-6000th in. thick. The former coring 

 and projecting through the keratose fibre subechinatingly, the 

 latter confined to the sarcode about no. 1. Size of largest 

 specimen, for there are two, 9 in. high, including the stem 

 (which is round, 2 in, long and | in. in diameter), 10 in. 

 broad, and about ^ in. thick, thinning towards the margin. 



Log. Port Western. 



Phahellia villosa, n. sp. 



Undulating, texture-like, or in the form of a vase, with con- 

 tinuous undulating, infoliated, thin wall and margin; stem 

 truncated (probably by the dredge). Consistence firm. Colour 

 purplish. Surface even, villous, soft. Poriferous generally 

 on the outer surface. Vents, or rather excretory canal-systems, 

 in the form of little stelliform branched venations scattered 

 subuniformly over the inner surface. Spicules of one form 

 only, viz. acuate, smooth, short, thick, curved, 53 by 3-6000ths 

 in., coring the fibre and projecting through it echinatingly. 

 Size of vasiform specimen 4 in. high by 3 in. across the brim, 

 wall 2-8ths in. thick. 



Log. Port Western. 



[To be continued.] 



