400 On a Freshwater Sponge from New Zealand. 



Altliongli the specimen is almost certainly female, the fore- 

 legs are fully developed, the fore-tarsus being armed with a 

 long stout tooth. The anteniue are unfortunately broken off 

 in the unique example. 



'J'he tube is much shorter and stouter than in 1). crassiceps, 

 being approximately as long or nearly as long as the head, 

 o'O times as long as broad at base, and about 2'5 times as 

 broad at base as at tip. All abdominal bristles lightly 

 coloured (colourless), those on 9 being 08 the length of the 

 tube. 



Comes near D. crassicpps^ but readily distinguished by the 

 slightly narrower head, the shorter tube, and the shorter 

 bristles on the ninth segment of the abdomen. I hope to 

 describe this specimen more fully when dealing with 

 Messrs. Alkiaud's and Jeannel's collection. 



Bab. British East Africa, Nairobi (Wa-Kikvyu et 

 Masai) {Gh. Alluaud, 1904). 



XXXVIII. — Note on a Freshwater Sponge from 

 New Zealand. By E. KiRKPATlilCK. 



(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



Records of fieshwater sponges from New Zealand are so 

 rare tliat it seems worth while calling attention to any fresh 

 discoveries, even if only of -new localities for a known species. 



Early in the year numerous small specimens of a freshwater 

 sponge were sent to the Natural History Museum, London, 

 by Mr. H. Hill, of Napier, N.Z. 



The specimens were gathered on the north shore of Lake 

 Taupo, The lake, which is situated in the centre of North 

 Island, is 1210 feet above sea-level, has an area of 140 square 

 miles, and a depth of 300 to 530 feet. 



The specimens had been stranded after a gale. They are 

 about a square inch in area and an inch high. iSome specimens 

 form thin Hat crusts without visible oscules, others are conical, 

 with one large oscule, and others, again, are irregular and 

 meandrine (see text-figure). The texture is fairly firm, and 

 the body perme ted with fine sand. No gemmules were 

 present in this lot of material. 



