On Sponges from South Australia. 301 



XXV. — Descriptions of Sponges from the Neighbourhood of 

 Port Phillip Heads, South Australia, continued. By II. J. 

 Carter, F.R.S. &c. 



[Continued from p. 222.] 



Remaining Groups of the Hircinida. 



Referring to the tabular view (p. 215) we may observe that 

 there are eleven groups still remaining in the family Hirci- 

 nida, beyond whose diagnosis ('Annals,' 1875, vol. xvi. 

 p. 132), viz. " Solid fibre chiefly cored with foreign objects," 

 there is nothing in their respective descriptions (ib. p. 136 

 etseq.) to lead to their determination, for I have already stated 

 that form alone among the Spongida is of no value in this 

 respect, and most of them are simply characterized by their 

 forms, as may be learnt from the nomenclature. 



Still all that I could do at the time, when a quantity of 

 Psammonemata that would alone fill several square yards was 

 presented to me for arrangement — in which, with very few 

 exceptions, nothing but bare skeletons (beach specimens) 

 remained for my guidance — was to heap them together 

 hurriedly, and name the heaps chiefly in accordance with the 

 forms they contained as preliminary to future distribution, 

 when such time should arrive that they might be studied 

 with their sarcode on as well as off. This " time" must, of 

 course, be very long, as in all other branches of natural 

 history ; but still it will progress if advantage be taken of the 

 opportunities offered for this purpose, such, I may instance, as 

 those afforded by Mr. Wilson's collections. But it never can 

 be done at a distance so weil as on the spot, where the 

 species, from its abundance and its varieties, may be studied 

 under all its phases, and a multiplication of useless specific 

 names thus avoided. Much therefore in this way may be 

 hoped for from Dr. R. von Lendenfeld, now at Melbourne, who, 

 educated under one of the best spongiologists of the present 

 day, viz. Prof. E. Schulze, of Gratz, has already turned his 

 attention most successfully in this direction. 



Although, however, the skeletons of the Psammonematous 

 sponges thus deprived of their sarcode are almost indispen- 

 sable in classification, as may be learnt from Prof. Hyatt's 

 beautiful photographs and careful descriptions (op. et he. cit.). 

 yet when we come to see many of them which have been 

 skilfully preserved either in the dried or wet states directly 

 after having been dredged up from their natural abodes, their 



