i\Ir. T. Uiggin on LaLaria lu-mispliaM-ica. .'•S? 



tlieiT, arc no spincd forms, from wliicli it must Ix- inferred 

 that tlie spincd anclioriiig-spiciilcs noticed by ^Ir. Carter in 

 his description of the British-^luscum sponge belonged to 

 a '■'' Meycrina clav<vformis^'' as well as the bunch of spicules 

 forming the " fraudulent tuft," and had been caught up acci- 

 dentally, if not purposely stuck on to the specimen. The 

 smooth anchoring-spicule which is the one proj)er to the 

 species is a fine hair-like s})icule, 3 to 4 inches in lengtii ; 

 it taj)ers fronr its middle to a fine point at its fixed end, and 

 also gradually diminishes to within a short distance of its free 

 end, measuring there only 1- 1000th of an inch, after which 

 it rpiickly becomes flat, with a breadth of l-300tli of an inch, 

 and ends in two opi)Osite hooks, recurved like the flukes of 

 an anchor, as flgured by Mr. Carter (^Annals/ 1873, ser. 4, 

 vol. xii. pi. xiv. flg. 2), the entire spread of the anchor 

 measuring l-45th of an inch (Pi. XXTI. fig. 3 a). 



The spicules of the whisker-like tufts are plain, fusiform, 

 in length about 3^ inches, with a diameter of 8-500ths of an 

 inch at the middle or thickest part. 



The spicules of the erect fringe round the labrum, all more 

 or less broken at the free end, are also fusiform, and, as they 

 exist at present, are smooth throughout ; but there is an apjjear- 

 ance of spines on some towards the free end, and therefore 

 in their perfect state they may perhaps be furnished with short 

 conical spines towards the points. The largest are about one 

 inch long, with a diameter in the middle of l-ToOth of an 

 inch. 



The spicules of the surface-reticulation are of four kinds : — 



1, large nail-like spicules (that is, smooth pointed shafts) with 

 four equally smooth arms projecting opposite or at right angles 

 to each other from the heads of the shafts, the arms inclined 

 slightly downwards or inAvards ; these spicules are of various 

 sizes, from the large form, plainly visible to the unassisted 

 sight, down to others of microscopic minuteness ; the shafts 

 of tlie larger spicules are \ an inch in length ; the amis may 

 be the same, but most frequently they are of different lengths ; 

 and sometimes one of them is blunt, not at all pointed, and 

 not more than 1-1 2th of an inch long; the shafts and arms 

 measure at the cross about l-48th of an inch in diameter ; 



2, long, slender, acerate spicules, thickly covered with short 

 sharp s|)ines, all pointing towards one and the same end of 

 the shaft; 3, smooth aceratcs, with the cros-> on the central 

 canal ; 4, plumose spicules of shapes intermediate between 

 one with a very thick shaft, short and bushy-looking, with 

 long, strong, bluntly ended arms (PI. XXII. fig. 5), and 

 another with small, short, fine arms and a long feather-like 



