﻿the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Manaar. 
  89 
  

  

  Axinella 
  Dormant, 
  Bovverbank*. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  six 
  dry 
  specimens 
  of 
  this 
  sponge 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  

   and 
  also 
  two 
  pieces 
  in 
  spirit. 
  I 
  have 
  nothing 
  further 
  to 
  add 
  

   to 
  the 
  accounts 
  given 
  by 
  Bowerbank 
  and 
  myself, 
  excepting 
  

   that 
  Mr. 
  Thurston 
  again 
  records 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  living 
  

   sponge 
  as 
  orange. 
  

  

  Axinella 
  tubulata, 
  Bowerbank, 
  sp. 
  (PI. 
  V. 
  fig. 
  11.) 
  

  

  187-3. 
  Haliphysema 
  tubulatum, 
  Bowerbank, 
  Proc. 
  Zool. 
  Soe. 
  Lond. 
  

  

  1873, 
  p. 
  29, 
  pi. 
  vii. 
  

   1878. 
  Aulospongus 
  tubulatus, 
  Norman, 
  Ann. 
  & 
  Mag. 
  Nat. 
  Hist. 
  ser. 
  5, 
  

  

  vol. 
  i. 
  p. 
  267. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  evidently 
  very 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  

   Manaar, 
  being 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  by 
  six 
  dry 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  and 
  two 
  pieces 
  in 
  spirit. 
  

  

  The 
  sponge 
  is 
  massive 
  and 
  usually 
  globular 
  or 
  subglobular 
  

   in 
  shape. 
  The 
  largest 
  specimen 
  in 
  the 
  collection, 
  which 
  is 
  

   irregularly 
  massive 
  in 
  form 
  and 
  rounded, 
  is 
  105 
  millim. 
  in 
  

   height 
  and 
  97 
  millim. 
  in 
  breadth. 
  All 
  the 
  specimens 
  have 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  flattened 
  bases 
  and 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  attached 
  

   during 
  life, 
  and 
  not, 
  as 
  Bowerbank 
  surmised, 
  freely 
  floating. 
  

   The 
  surface 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  specimens 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  small 
  conical 
  

   papillae 
  whose 
  size 
  varies 
  considerably 
  in 
  different 
  specimens. 
  

   Thus 
  in 
  one 
  specimen 
  they 
  are 
  comparatively 
  large 
  and 
  iso- 
  

   lated 
  from 
  one 
  another, 
  while 
  in 
  another 
  they 
  are 
  small 
  and 
  

   run 
  into 
  one 
  another 
  in 
  a 
  mseandriniform 
  manner. 
  The 
  

   colour 
  of 
  the 
  living 
  sponge 
  was 
  pinkish 
  red 
  or 
  red 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  

   dry 
  state 
  it 
  is 
  orange 
  and 
  in 
  spirit 
  pale 
  yellow. 
  The 
  oscula 
  

   are 
  small 
  and 
  scattered 
  and 
  sometimes 
  slightly 
  prominent. 
  

   There 
  is 
  a 
  dermal 
  membrane 
  connecting 
  together 
  the 
  surface 
  

   conuli 
  at 
  a 
  little 
  distance 
  below 
  their 
  summits. 
  The 
  texture 
  

   is 
  firm 
  and 
  hard 
  in 
  the 
  dry 
  state 
  and 
  softer 
  in 
  spirit. 
  

  

  The 
  skeleton 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  stout, 
  irregular, 
  branching 
  

   columns, 
  radiating 
  towards 
  the 
  surface 
  and 
  terminating 
  in 
  the 
  

   conuli. 
  Each 
  column 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  various 
  sizes 
  of 
  stylote 
  

   and 
  tylostylote 
  spicules, 
  arranged 
  in 
  the 
  usual 
  echinating 
  

   manner 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  Axinellids, 
  with 
  their 
  points 
  

   projecting 
  oblicpaely 
  outwards 
  and 
  towards 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  

   sponge 
  and 
  their 
  bases 
  usually 
  united 
  together 
  by 
  spongin. 
  

   ^N 
  umerous 
  spicules 
  also 
  occur 
  scattered 
  through 
  the 
  soft 
  tissues 
  

   of 
  the 
  sponge 
  which 
  cannot 
  be 
  assigned 
  to 
  any 
  particular 
  

  

  * 
  For 
  references 
  &c. 
  vide 
  Dendy, 
  Ann. 
  & 
  Mag. 
  Nat. 
  Hist. 
  ser. 
  5, 
  

   vol. 
  xx. 
  p. 
  158. 
  

  

  Ann. 
  & 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  Hist. 
  Ser. 
  6. 
  Vol. 
  iii. 
  7 
  

  

  