Mcrlia normfttii, Kirkp. 43 



nature of tlic organism itself ; Imt, ncvcrtiiclosa, I beg to offer 

 a few jjreliminary observations on tlio subjeet. 



Towards the entl ot hist year, Canon Nurinan sent me four 

 little {hied inerusting Polyzoa-like speeimens which had 

 been detached from a small mass of rock hooked up by a 

 fisherman from CO fathoms off Porto Santo Island. The 

 specimtMis were covered with a yellow pellicle showing little 

 conical prominences. 



Ik'low the pellicle was a white reticulate pattern with 

 small jiolygonal meshes, and with little tubercles rising from 

 the nodes of the network ; a few larger meshes present 

 appeared to have resulted from fusion of two smaller ones. 



A vertical section revealed asi-ries of vertical tubes divided 

 up by hoiizoiital perforate jiaititions, the vertical walls being 

 iinjierforate, but having longitudinal sutures. A surluce 

 view in balsam showed three flanges radiating out from below 

 each tubercle to meet similar ones trom neighbouring tubercles, 

 a suture s<>parating the opposing flanges ; further, I found 

 what seemed to me to be a tuning-fork spicule with jtaralkl 

 lubcrculattd |)rongs (and therefore unlike a boring AcJili/a) 

 imbedded in one of the tabuh\2 (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. Q^) 

 ii. 1908, pi. XV. figs. 13, 14, ly). In the uppermost "cells" 

 of this calcareous framework were bundles of very slender 

 tylote spicules and rha])hide-like oxeas. 



When acid was applied to the small scrap that could be 

 spared, either these spicules were not included in the particle 

 used for investigation, or they were washed away. I con- 

 cluded * that the honeycomb structure had been made by a 

 .'jponge ; and my opinion was strengthened later when I 

 came across a wonderful— and indubitable — Pharetron sponge 

 with a dermal armour composed of large thick calcareous 

 plates or scales with tuning-fork spicules imbedded in them. 



Partly in the ho{)e of getting living specimens of Mcrlia, 

 1 decided to spend a winter vacation in ^ladeira and the 

 neighbourhood. In January, accompanied by Senhor A. C 

 de Noronha, I visited Porto Santo Island. After dredging 

 for nine days we succeeding in finding specimens of Merlia 

 in no fathoms off the islet of Cima, near Porto Santo. 



The living specimens were always in the form of little 

 patches or crusts, about a centimetre, more or less, in area, 

 and of a bright vermilion colour. The crust was cpiite 

 smooth at first, and nothing else was seen but the smooth 

 bright patch of colour ; l)ut very soon the surface sank a little, 

 and the tubeicles and white network of the calcareous franic- 



• Ann. & Mag. Nat. Ilifct. (8) ii. irX)^, p. olO. 



