98 Miss J. Stephens on neio 



the shell by means of the spongin which binds together the 

 cage of inacroscleres in ^^•hich it is enclosed. 



The skeleton, as far as can be seen, is a rather close net- 

 work of spicules. The spongin could not be made out, and it 

 must be very scanty in quantity, as the spicules at once fall 

 apart when a small specimen is sectioned by hand. 



Fig. 2. 



'■W-':'-^i-.^.jfi^"''' 



Spongilla {Stratospungilld) henguelensis, sp. n. 



a, strongyla, X 330 ; b, developing strongyla, X 330 ; c, inicroxea, X COO ; 

 d, gemnnile-spicules, X 600; e, gemmule freed from its cage of 

 niacroscleres, x 60. 



The gemmule?, as already stated, are firmly fixed to the 

 shell by means of the spongin binding the cage of niacro- 

 scleres which encloses each gemmule. These niacroscleres 

 lie tangentially to the surface of the gemmule, they are 

 strongly bound together by spongin, and adhere closely to 

 each other, unlike the rest of the skeleton. The gemmule 

 rests on tlie floor of the cage, and, at least in the dried state, 

 there is a consideiable space between the sides and roof of the 

 cage and the gemmule. Similar cages of niacroscleres have 

 ]<een described in other species — for example, in Spongilla 

 cvtherice, Annandale, Corvospongilla hurmanica (Kirk- 

 patrick), Corvospongilla lapidosa (Annandale), and Corvo- 

 spongilla scahrispicuiis, Annandale. The gem mules them- 

 selves are .spherical and are about 0*38-0*42 mm. in diameter. 



