Remarks hij Mr. II. J. Carter. 383 



prominences or swelliiif^s, wliich .'ifj^aln (as in fi;^. lO) are 9,0 

 developed as to form a double set of four arms, one set capjjin;^ 

 the other. The Liverpool-Museum s])ecimen bears the usual 

 Polype ; the Inosima example, in which the glass rope is 

 short, has no Polype on it. 



The existence of tlie large stout aceratc spicules in the sur- 

 face-structure of Ihjalonema cchuense is a noticeable feature ; 

 similar spicules quite as large are found in the Japanese 

 Ilyaloneraas — not on the surface, however, Init, together with 

 other acerate spicules, forming the fibrous lines of the general 

 internal structure, being probably most numerous round the 

 fixed part of the stem. 



It is interesting to notice the relationships which seem to 

 exist between the various kinds of Ilexactinellid sponges, as 

 shown in the ])ecullar forms of spicules differently develo|)ed 

 in some, appearing in greater or less quantities in other S[)ecies, 

 and occupying different positions in the general structure of 

 the different sponges, but which would perhaps occupy too much 

 space to describe in detail here. All such observations, how- 

 ever, lead to the conclusion that the peculiar features of the 

 various anchoring appendages, adopted by Mr. IT. J. Carter 

 as the means of distinguishing genera, are the most remark- 

 able and most easily noticeable for this purpose. 



Remarks hy ^Ir. Carter. 



In bringing to notice Hyalonema cebuense, Mr. Higgin has 

 described and illustrated a sponge which, if not sufficiently 

 different from Ifyalonema Sieboldii, Gray, to constitute a new 

 species, is at least deserving of the separate designation which 

 has been given to it. 



Here we have, in the first place, a full-grown Hyalonema 

 with an entire absence of the parasitic Polype which usually 

 corticates the upper pai't of the cord ! 



We have also obtained through it the free termination of 

 the anchoring-spicule of which the cord is composed in the 

 Hyalonemata^ which was previously uidcnown ; and moreover 

 Mr. Higgin has shown that in both Hyalonema Sieholdii and 

 H. cebuense the principle of formation is the same, viz. a mitre- 

 shaped inflation with four spines or arms recurved and oppo- 

 site : also in Mr. Ilardman's specimen, to which Mr. Higgin 

 has alluded, it is stated to be four-armed opposite, the same 

 " as in H. cebuense]^'' while the Polype, too, is absent from the 

 cord of this specimen. But it so happens that the specimen 

 which Mr. Higgin kindly sent me of an anchoring-spicule 

 from this cord had eight arms or spines each opposite each 



