﻿the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Manaar 
  , 
  97 
  

  

  I 
  refer 
  provisionally 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Hircinia. 
  They 
  consist 
  of 
  

   branched 
  digitate 
  processes 
  about 
  15 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  with 
  

   strongly 
  and 
  regularly 
  conulose 
  surface. 
  Colour 
  of 
  the 
  living 
  

   sponge 
  blackish 
  grey, 
  in 
  the 
  dry 
  state 
  almost 
  black, 
  and 
  in 
  

   spirit 
  dark 
  grey. 
  Texture 
  in 
  the 
  dry 
  state 
  hard 
  and 
  incom- 
  

   pressible, 
  in 
  spirit 
  softer, 
  compact, 
  cork-like. 
  In 
  external 
  

   appearance 
  this 
  species 
  bears 
  a 
  most 
  striking 
  resemblance 
  to 
  

   a 
  specimen 
  of 
  Schmidt's 
  Hircinia 
  dendroides 
  * 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  

   Museum. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  the 
  characteristic 
  " 
  filaments 
  " 
  only 
  

   in 
  one 
  place. 
  

  

  ApJysina 
  purpurea. 
  Carter. 
  

  

  1880. 
  Aplysina 
  purpurea, 
  Carter, 
  Aim. 
  & 
  Mag. 
  Nat. 
  Hist. 
  ser. 
  5, 
  

   vol. 
  vi. 
  p. 
  36. 
  

  

  1881. 
  Aplysina 
  purpurea, 
  Carter, 
  Ann. 
  & 
  Mag. 
  Nat. 
  Hist. 
  ser. 
  5, 
  

   vol. 
  viii. 
  p. 
  103, 
  pi. 
  ix. 
  figs. 
  1, 
  a-i, 
  and 
  2, 
  a-c. 
  

  

  The 
  single 
  dry 
  specimen 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  is 
  conical 
  in 
  

   form, 
  slightly 
  flattened 
  in 
  one 
  plane, 
  with 
  broad 
  base 
  and 
  

   bluntly 
  rounded 
  apex. 
  It 
  measures 
  195 
  millim. 
  in 
  height 
  

   and 
  the 
  greatest 
  breadth 
  of 
  the 
  base 
  is 
  about 
  110 
  millim. 
  

  

  The 
  colour 
  in 
  the 
  living 
  state 
  was 
  grey 
  ; 
  when 
  dry 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  

   black-purple 
  and 
  in 
  spirit 
  a 
  little 
  lighter 
  purple. 
  The 
  surface 
  

   of 
  the 
  dry 
  sponge 
  is 
  thickly 
  covered 
  with 
  large 
  conical 
  pro- 
  

   jections, 
  clue 
  to 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  stout 
  compound 
  skeleton- 
  

   fibres 
  supporting 
  the 
  dermal 
  membrane 
  in 
  a 
  tent-like 
  fashion. 
  

   The 
  dermal 
  membrane 
  is 
  shrunk 
  in 
  between 
  the 
  projections, 
  

   which 
  are 
  probably 
  more 
  prominent 
  in 
  dry 
  specimens 
  than 
  in 
  

   life 
  ; 
  it 
  exhibits 
  only 
  occasionally 
  the 
  minute 
  reticulation 
  

   mentioned 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Carter. 
  

  

  The 
  oscula 
  vary 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  are 
  irregularly 
  scattered 
  over 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  rather 
  curious 
  fact 
  that 
  they 
  

   are 
  not 
  more 
  numerous 
  at 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  than 
  else- 
  

   where. 
  Sometimes 
  they 
  are 
  fairly 
  large 
  and 
  single 
  and 
  some- 
  

   times 
  they 
  are 
  small 
  and 
  grouped. 
  

  

  The 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  dry 
  sponge 
  internally 
  is 
  very 
  cavern- 
  

   ous 
  ; 
  the 
  texture 
  of 
  the 
  pieces 
  in 
  spirit 
  is 
  compact 
  and 
  cork- 
  

   like. 
  

  

  The 
  skeleton, 
  as 
  already 
  described 
  and 
  figured 
  by 
  Mr. 
  

   Carter, 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  compound 
  fibres. 
  These 
  compound 
  

   fibres 
  are, 
  however, 
  merely 
  dense 
  local 
  aggregations 
  of 
  

   branching 
  and 
  anastomosing 
  horny 
  fibres 
  accumulated 
  along- 
  

   certain 
  tracts 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  leave 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  free 
  

   from 
  skeletal 
  elements. 
  That 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  appears 
  from 
  

  

  * 
  Registered 
  67. 
  7. 
  2G. 
  79. 
  

  

  