400 



COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



Australia. I have, at any rate, seen pieces of a sponge closely allied 

 to, if not identical with, this substituted for the original sponge of 

 Hyalonema sieboldi, probably belonging to the species alluded to as 

 occurring in this connexion in Japan by L. Doderlein (Arch, fiir 

 Naturg. xlix. p. 104), under the name of Siphonochalina papyraeea ; 

 it is in any case not referable to that species, but possibly to Tuba 

 mec/astoma, Duch. & Mich., or T. (Spongia) bursaria, Lamarck. 

 Liune seems to have confounded two or more species under the 

 name aculeata. 



I lab. Port Molle and Port Curtis, Queensland (from coral-reef, 

 &c). 



Distribution. Australian seas (Lamarck). 



29. Tuba confeederata. 

 ? Spongia confoederata, Lamarck, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. xx. p. 438. 



Groups of erect, straight, laterally united tubes, each about 25 

 millim. (1 inch) in greatest internal diameter in the present (dry 

 and somewhat compressed) state, the surface covered with numerous 

 sharp but low aculeations, about 2 to 3 millim. high and 3 to 5 

 millim. apart, seem to me to possibly represent this species. I am, 

 however, doubtful whether Seba's figure to which Lamarck refers 

 (viz. Thesaurus, iii. pi. xcvii. fig. 2) professes to represent the 

 surface aculeations which I have described ; in that figure the tubes 

 are shorter in proportion to their diameter than here. In this speci- 

 men the surface between the aculeations is smooth, and the tubes 

 decrease but slightly in diameter towards the mouth, which is fringed 

 with a row of small, flexible, tag-like aculeations 2 to 3 millim. long. 

 The tubes are 95 to 120 millim. long, and have evidently been torn 

 from a common hollow horizontal base (as is shown by another, 

 very battered specimen, which also shows the real length of the tubes 

 to be approximately as stated above for the detached tubes) : they 

 are united up to their summits or to within a very short distance of 

 them. The walls are 1 to 3 millim. thick. Vents numerous, small, 

 •5 to 1 millim. in diameter, on the inner (otherwise smooth) surface of 

 the tubes. The colour is pale brown. 



The main skeleton-fibre is tough, flexible, amber-yellow ; the 

 spicules of the primary fibres form about 3 or 4 series in axis of fibre, 

 of which they occupy about one fourth of the total breadth, which 

 is "07 to -1 millim. ; the spicules of the secoudary fibres are in two 

 or three axial series, diameter of fibre about "07 millim. Secondary 

 fibres generally long, not far apart, approximately vertical to the 

 primaries. Dermal skeleton consisting of stout main fibres about 

 •14 millim. in diameter, intermediate fibres "035 to -1 millim. broad; 

 fibres usually spicular, with little or no visible horny matter. Sar- 

 code wanting. Spicules smooth acerate, tapering to sharp points 

 from about three diameters from ends; size # 1 by *00G3 to '0075 

 millim. 



Represented by three more or less washed dry specimens. 



Hab. West Island, Torres Straits (from beach). 



