Spoiif/r from tlic Vliili ppi nc Islttnd^. .*i81 



i"opc, wliich is there surruumled by an irreguhir line of closely 

 packed, small, sexraJiatc spicules interspersed with plain and 

 tubercled acerates. The form most noticeable here is a crucial- 

 shaped spicule (PI. XXII. fig. 2), the arms of which measure 

 about l-10()th of an inch in length, strai,i;ht or more or less bent 

 towards the extrcntities, and closely studded near the points 

 with short, obtusely pointed, vertical sjjincs, wluLdi appear 

 to represent the '^ cijUadro-cruciform " sj)icules of Hijaloaenia 

 Steholdii fif^ured by Dr. Bowerbank (B. S. vol. i. p. 252, 

 pi. vi. figs. 153-156), the "spi'nicruces^^ (?) of Brandt. Another 

 prominent spicule is the smooth-armed nail-like form, and the 

 same furnished near the ends of the arms with short obtusely 

 pointed spines. There are also many extremely slender 

 long-armed crucial and six-rayed spicules, with the arms of 

 varying lengths, sometimes smooth and sometimes furnished 

 sparingl}^ with long spines bent in some instances towards the 

 points, in other cases towards the base of the arms. There 

 is also a develo})ment of the four-armed plumose spicule into 

 the sexradiate form, another shaft opposite the plumose one 

 being projected, rather longer than the other, and thickly 

 studded, like the crucial arms (which are nearly as long as 

 the plumose shaft), with short obtusely pointed spines : some- 

 times also this form occurs with only two of the crucial 

 arms produced. The minute birotulate, too, is very numerous 

 here. 



The height of the sponge, measuring from the part from 

 ■which the anchoring rope issues, is about 5^ inches, its breadth 

 is about 4f inches; and the length of glass rope visible is nearly 

 10 inches, with a diameter of | an inch close to the sponge. 



JIab. Marine. 



Loc. Cebu, Philippine Islands. 



Obs. The fact of the sponge having lost the latticework 

 covering on its upper half, and the canal-system being in 

 consequence either exposed or covered with a matted mass 

 of spicules, led at first to the inference that it had become 

 detached from the sea-bottom, and had either been cast up on 

 the shore or had been rolling about for some time on its sides, 

 and had so accumulated the matted mass from without. But 

 when it Avas found that the mass contained only the spicules 

 of the species, it appeared unlikely that it had been so gathered 

 up ; for if the sponge had been rolling about on the sea-bottom, 

 the matted part would probably have contained a number of 

 spicules belonging to many other sponges. On consulting 

 Mr. H. J. Carter, F.R.S., who has been most kind in ex- 

 pressing his opinion on this sponge, in pointing out diflferent 

 points of special interest, and in reviewing and discussing the 



