SPONGIIDA. 607 



colour, and its cylindrical spicule is curved and apparently stouter 

 than that of this species. 



26. Reniera, sens, lat., allied to crateriformis, Carter. 

 (Plate LIY. fig. i.) 



Some small dark-brown fragments of a species belonging to the 

 group Crassa (Itenieridae), Carter, to which the preceding species is 

 related, and which is probably connected with Schmidt ia. The 

 spicules arc smooth, slightly curved, subcylindrical, tapering some- 

 what to the well-rounded ends ; size -48 by "028 millim. Arrange- 

 ment of skeleton as in Schmidtia, viz. massive fibre forming rounded 

 meshes (except near the surface). Species of this character are 

 especially abundant in the Malay Archipelago, whence R. crateri- 

 formis is obtained. Not knowing the external form of the sponge, 

 I content myself with indicating the occurrence of this well-marked 

 group in this region. 



Hob. Providence Island, Mascarene group, 19 fms. 



27. Pellina, sp. 



I have little doubt of the identity with the species from Australia, 

 described at p. 413 (iNTo. 48) of Part I. of this Report, of an erect, 

 laterally compressed, suboblong specimen in spirit in this collection, 

 45 millim. high, 30 millim. in greatest diameter, 14 millim. in 

 greatest thickness. It is squarely truncate above and diminishes 

 slightly in diameter towards the broken lower end ; the surface is 

 rather uneven, but the dermal membrane is smooth, thin, and trans- 

 parent. Vents chiefly at the margin ; round or suborbicular, deep, 

 diameter 1-5 millim. Spicules -33 to '35 by -019 millim. Other 

 characters essentially as in Australian specimen, from which it differs 

 chiefly iu wanting the short lobes. 



Hob. Darros Island, Amirante group, 22 fms. 



28. Tedania digitata, Schmidt. 



Por synonyms and distribution see this Eeport, Part I. p. 417. 



A fine specimen from Mozambique, very different in external 

 characters from those described by me from Australia and Hindostan. 

 In this case the vents are strongly developed, and the mass consists 

 of four superiorly distinct, more or less bullate tubes, with thin, 

 smooth margins, 3-9 millim. in diameter at their mouths, arising out 

 of a very irregularly shaped, massive, suberect base, the surface of 

 most of which is broken up into closely-set pits and grooves, about 

 1*5 millim. in diameter, which are the external openings of the 

 excretory canals of this solid part of the sponge. The colour is 

 pale, rather reddish, brown. The acuate measures T9 by -0095 

 millim., the tibiella -19 by -005 millim. While the outward form is 

 rather that of Mediterranean specimens, the proportions of the 

 spicules agree more closely with, examples from Kurrachee and 

 Queensland than with Mediterranean or Port-Darwin specimens. 



The spicules of a small incrusting fragment from the Amirante 



