388 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



gelidoe, which Tosmacr has recently (Mitth. Zool. Stat. Neapel, iv. 

 pp. 444, 445) employed. On the geographical distribution of the 

 members of the Family see the subsequent Report on the Collections 

 made in the Western Indian Ocean. 



14. Dysidea favosa. 



Marshall, Zeitseh. tciss. Zool. xxxv. p. 98, pi. vi. figs. G-ll. 



Fragments ; exhibiting, however, the secondary pouches in the 

 wall of the tube, into which the excretory canals open, as described 

 by Marshall. Here also, as in Marshall's specimens, the foreign 

 contents of the fibres are chiefly sponge-spicules, but linear siliceous 

 forms seem to prevail. 



Hob. Port Darwin, between tide-marks. 



Distribution. Bass's Strait (Marshall). 



15. Dysidea fusca. 



? Hircinia fusca, Carter, Ann. $• Mag. N. H. (5) vi. p. 36. 



One specimen is composed of two anastomosing lobes, somewhat 

 compressed, 9-17 millim. in diameter, one being pointed and 

 45 millim. high, the other shorter and blunt. Vents few, scattered 

 between conuli ; tubercular, about 1 millim. across. Conuli 2-3 

 millim. apart, about 1 millim. high, apex often ridge-like; interme- 

 diate surfaces concave, depressed, glabrous. Texture in spirit fairly 

 tough ; colour dark reddish brown. Mr. Carter speaks of the fibre 

 being " covered " with foreign material. In this specimen it is very 

 coarse, viz. *07 to -25 millim. thick, and has the structure of that of 

 Dysidea (i. e. is filled with coarse foreign bodies). Sarcode dense, red- 

 dish brown, granular. Main skeleton somewhat irregular, primary 

 fibres plainly distinguishable only near surface ; secondary fibres 

 stout, irregular in direction. Dermal skeleton chiefly composed of 

 coarse fibres, -25 millim. broad, radiating from conuli. The fibres of 

 the main skeleton contain a distinct yellow horny substance, and are 

 occasionally devoid of foreign bodies for a short distance. 



It seems possible that this may be Mr. Carter's species, but his 

 description is too short to decide the matter. In a second specimen, 

 which covers the upper surfaces of the body and limbs of a crab, 

 throwing up short lobose projections at intervals, the conuli are 

 smaller, pointed, and only 1 millim. apart, and the colour is a dull 

 reddish brown. 



Hub. Prince of Wales Channel, Thursday Island, Torres Straits, 

 3-4 and 7 or 9 fins. 



Distribution. Ceylon (Carter)? 



Histology. The cortex and subjacent tissues contain large quanti- 

 ties of granular reddish-brown cells, with circular outline, appa- 

 rently those of the ectoderm (Schulze) lining the excretory cavities, 

 which give the sponge its peculiar colour. In some parts of the 

 paler-coloured sponge they are still distinguishable, but in others 

 they are scarcely demarcated from the general transparent sur- 



