A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



corallines. When examined under the micro- 

 scope it seems hardly to resemble bunches of 

 grapes as the specific name would imply, but 

 rather the fingers and shallow palm of an 

 irregular glove, more particularly if we may 

 suppose the fingers to give off other fingers, 

 the ends being open to represent the oscula. 

 The simple sponge is cylindrical, slightly 

 swollen towards the end, with a wide para- 

 gaster and osculum. From moderately deep 

 water. Rare. Hastings. 



2. Leucosolenia (Ascon) lacunosa, Bowerbank. 

 Sponge white, fig-shaped, compressed, with 



a short stem, and with large oval orifices 

 occurring over the whole surface. Bower- 

 bank describes this as a very rare sponge. 

 The form of the Hastings specimen is some- 

 what intermediate between Bowerbank's two 

 figures. 



The dimensions are : Height of stem, 1*5 

 mm. ; body, 6 '5 mm. ; greatest width, 6 mm.; 

 lesser diameter, 3 mm. 



A single specimen only taken ; growing 

 upon an Eudendrium. From moderately 

 shallow water. Very rare. Hastings. 



3. Grantia (Sycon) ciliata, Fleming. 



This is a simple sponge consisting of a 

 small white cylinder, the surface bristling with 

 defensive spicules which project in minute 

 tufts over the blind ends of the radial canals. 

 Around the terminal osculum there is a fringe 

 of spicules which suggest the specific name. 

 Specimens taken from the rocks at low water 

 are fully double the size of those found upon 

 corallines, etc., from deeper water, and are 

 of a more attenuated form, and have the 

 oscular spicules more conspicuous. Not un- 

 common, but small. Hastings. 



4. Grantia (Sycon) compressa, Fleming. 



This species forms little grey or tan 

 coloured sacks, cylindrical to ovate in form, 

 generally with a single osculum. Hastings 

 specimens do not exceed i inches in height. 

 Upon rocks at low tide ; not noted from 

 deeper water. Not uncommon. Hastings. 



PLETHOSPONGLE 



RHAGON 



5. Ecionemia ponderosa, Bowerbank.* 

 Hastings. 



6. Ciocalypta penicillus, Bowerbank.* 

 Hastings. 



Museum of Natural History, who very kindly 

 examined the specimen, expressed the opinion 

 that it might possibly be a strongly marked 

 variety in the young condition of C. penicillus, 

 though it showed much divergence from the 

 typical adult sponge. The specimen is in 

 the South Kensington Museum. Rare. 

 Hastings. 



8. Tetbya lyncurium, Johnston. 



Sponge hemispherical, about f inch in 

 diameter ; surface warty-looking ; colour 

 when fresh, orange. Upon rock from 

 the Diamond Ground. Somewhat rare. 

 Hastings. 



9. Raspailia cristata, Montague. 



Dictyocyliniirus ramosus, Bowerbank. 

 Sponge 4 or 5 inches in height ; brown, 

 branching, and hispid with defensive spicules. 

 The shoots before branching are often palmate. 

 From moderately shallow water. Common. 

 Hastings. 



10. Raspailia ramosa, Montague. 



Not to be confounded with Dictyocylindrus 

 ramosus of Bowerbank, the present species 

 branching in the same plane, the branches 

 being somewhat flattened. From the Dia- 

 mond Ground. Rather rare. Hastings. 



1 1 . Dictyocylindrus hispidus, Bowerbank. 



Sponge, light brown, hispid, dichotomously 

 branching, the branches being in the same 

 plane and curving inwards towards the ends. 

 A fine specimen measures 12 inches in 

 height. From the Diamond Ground. Some- 

 what rare. Hastings. 



12. Dictyocylindrus fascicu/aris, Bowerbank. 

 Specimens a little over 5 inches in height, 



of a pale yellow colour, dichotomously branch- 

 ing, the branches being slender and curving 

 inwards towards the upper parts. A dried 

 specimen might be readily mistaken for a 

 dead twig. From the Diamond Ground. 

 Somewhat rare. Hastings. 



, 13. Dictyocylindrus radiosus, Bowerbank. 



Specimen 3^ inches in height, resembling 

 to some extent D. hispida. The branching 

 is dichotomous, and in the same plane, the 

 branches being rather flattened and hispid, 

 and instead of curving inwards, as in the last 

 mentioned species, they expand in a radiating 

 manner. From moderately deep water. 

 Rare. Hastings. 



7. Ciocalypta, sp. , 14. Dictyocylindrus aculeatus (?), Bowerbank. 



A specimen taken from the rocks at low The Hastings specimens are in the dried 

 water. Mr. R. Kirkpatrick, of the British condition, and present little grey feathery 



74 



