Sponges from South Australia. 199 



Synascidia holteniformis (provisional). 



Besides tlie above there is another Boltenia-sha\)ed speci- 

 men in the collection, of much the same size as the foregoing-, 

 but unfortunately imperfect, as the upper part of the head 

 appears to have been cut off and only a few inches of the 

 stem remain. Resemblance in form here, however, goes for 

 nothing, for the whole consists of a stalked cormus of a com- 

 pound luntcated Ascidian, in which the head is paved over with 

 a layer of Synascidians. That part of the head which remains 

 is not tuberculated, but unequally quadrilateral, oblong 

 and smooth, about 2 in. high by 1 in. in horizontal diameter, 

 after which follows a round and also smooth portion (like in 

 shape to that of Boltenia austrcdiensis) , which becomes con- 

 tracted towards its union with the stem, where it is half an 

 inch in diameter; that which remains of the stem, which is 

 cylindrical and corrugated transversely, being 4| in. long- 

 by \ in. in diameter at the end, where it has been broken 

 off from apparently a similar continuation. While, however, 

 the head alone is covered with a tough, transparent, colourless 

 membrane beset with little circular spaces, through the centre 

 of each of which the branchial aperture of the Synascidian 

 slightly projects ; the intervening portion between the head 

 and the stem itself, together with the latter, is incrusted with 

 sand, which is imbedded in the subcartilaginous tissue of 

 which it is composed, to the extent of about l-24th in., 

 within which again this tissue is longitudinally traversed by a 

 number of tubes which in a transverse section resembles that 

 of monocotyledonous wood. The Synascidians which cover 

 the head or corme are irregularly disposed in juxtaposition, and 

 not in colonies or groups ; nor could I see any common open- 

 ings or cloaca? among them ; while the interior of the head, 

 which is composed of a solid mass of subcartilaginous, translu- 

 cent tissue, is apparently more or less charged with ova. But 

 all further investigation of this species I must leave to others, 

 if it has not before been described, as my object here is only 

 to point out that such a specimen exists in Mr. Wilson's 

 collection. 



Since the above was written, the ship ' Sarah Grice,' to 

 which I have alluded (antea, p. 108), has arrived, and the 

 " consignment " therein mentioned has safely reached me, 

 wherein I find, among numbers of other interesting speci- 

 mens, several of which a\-e new, still another bolteniform 

 specimen of a Synascidian, which may be named and described 

 as follows : — 



