﻿the 
  Girfof 
  Manaar. 
  85 
  

  

  surfaces 
  of 
  the 
  sponge. 
  An 
  average-sized 
  well-grown 
  speci- 
  

   men 
  measures 
  about 
  180 
  millim. 
  in 
  height 
  by 
  280 
  millim. 
  in 
  

   breadth, 
  and 
  the 
  thickness 
  of 
  the 
  trabecular 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  

   composed 
  is 
  about 
  4 
  millim. 
  Sometimes, 
  however, 
  the 
  sponge 
  

   is 
  taller 
  than 
  it 
  is 
  broad. 
  

  

  The 
  skeleton 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  well-developed 
  close-meshed 
  net- 
  

   work 
  of 
  stout 
  horny 
  fibres 
  ecliinated 
  by 
  spined 
  styli. 
  The 
  

   distinction 
  between 
  primary 
  and 
  secondary 
  lines 
  is 
  not 
  always 
  

   very 
  well 
  marked, 
  and 
  the 
  reticulation 
  tends 
  to 
  become 
  very 
  

   irregular 
  ; 
  the 
  primary 
  fibres, 
  however, 
  are 
  more 
  abundantly 
  

   ecliinated 
  than 
  the 
  secondaries 
  and 
  they 
  have 
  also 
  numerous 
  

   spined 
  styli 
  in 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  fibre, 
  which 
  are 
  absent 
  from 
  

   the 
  secondaries. 
  

  

  The 
  primary 
  fibres 
  measure 
  about 
  - 
  07 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  

   but 
  sometimes 
  more 
  and 
  sometimes 
  less, 
  and 
  the 
  secondaries 
  

   somewhat 
  less. 
  

  

  Spicules. 
  — 
  The 
  megasclera 
  (fig. 
  10) 
  are 
  of 
  two 
  kinds 
  : 
  — 
  

   (1) 
  Smooth 
  slender 
  styli 
  (verging 
  upon 
  the 
  tylostylote 
  form) 
  

   or 
  unequal-ended 
  oxea, 
  straight 
  or 
  slightly 
  crooked, 
  measuring 
  

   about 
  0*14 
  by 
  0*003 
  millim., 
  occurring 
  abundantly 
  scattered 
  

   in 
  the 
  dermal 
  membrane, 
  but 
  only 
  sparingly 
  in 
  the 
  choano- 
  

   some. 
  (2) 
  Small, 
  straight, 
  entirely 
  spined 
  styli, 
  gradually 
  

   and 
  sharply 
  pointed 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  and 
  frequently 
  narrowing 
  

   somewhat 
  at 
  the 
  base; 
  size 
  about 
  084 
  by 
  0'007 
  millim. 
  

  

  I 
  can 
  find 
  no 
  microsclera, 
  although 
  I 
  have 
  searched 
  very 
  

   carefully 
  for 
  them, 
  and 
  this 
  species 
  therefore 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  

   one 
  of 
  those 
  aberrant 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  which 
  are 
  devoid 
  

   of 
  microsclera. 
  The 
  species 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  abundant, 
  being 
  

   represented 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  by 
  eight 
  dry 
  specimens 
  and 
  a 
  

   piece 
  in 
  spirit. 
  

  

  ( 
  lathi 
  ia 
  coraUitincta, 
  n. 
  sp. 
  (PI. 
  IV. 
  fig. 
  8.) 
  

  

  Sponge 
  sessile, 
  usually 
  lamellar, 
  but 
  proliferous. 
  Con- 
  

   sisting 
  of 
  a 
  close 
  reticulation 
  of 
  small, 
  branching 
  and 
  anas- 
  

   tomosing, 
  irregularly 
  cylindrical 
  or 
  flattened 
  trabecular, 
  rami- 
  

   fying 
  upwards 
  and 
  terminating 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  

   in 
  short 
  obtuse 
  processes. 
  The 
  largest 
  specimen 
  is 
  2G5 
  

   millim. 
  broad 
  by 
  131 
  millim. 
  high. 
  The 
  diameter 
  of 
  the 
  

   separate 
  trabecular 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  sponge 
  is 
  composed 
  averages 
  

   about 
  2-3 
  millim. 
  Texture 
  in 
  the 
  dry 
  state 
  rather 
  hard 
  and 
  

   brittle, 
  in 
  spirit 
  tough, 
  resilient. 
  The 
  living 
  sponge 
  was 
  

   " 
  red-coral 
  " 
  coloured 
  ; 
  in 
  spirit 
  it 
  is 
  yellowish 
  grey, 
  and 
  

   when 
  dry 
  the 
  same, 
  with 
  tinges 
  of 
  red 
  here 
  and 
  there. 
  

  

  The 
  reticulate 
  or 
  clathrous 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  is 
  not 
  

   so 
  well 
  marked 
  in 
  spirit 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  dry 
  condition, 
  the 
  fenestra- 
  

  

  