270 Mr. H. J. Carter on tico undescribed Sponges 



are figured by the latter close together, as if the author had 

 obtained his knowledge of them from the same som'ce as 

 myself. 



Beside Acarniis innominoius^ there are the remains of two 

 other sponges of the same family, which have grown together 

 with it upon the fragment of debris mentioned, viz. two 

 Esperiadfe, of which the spicular complements respectively 

 (taken from minute portions) are also and only figured, but are 

 sufficient to establish the species, although all other remains 

 of the entire sponges have disappeared. 



Then we do not expect to find these sponges in large masses, 

 for it is not their habit, but rather with meagre development, 

 although with exquisite combinations of spicules, to creep to- 

 gether over the small crevices of marine objects in the more 

 shallow seas ; and hence probably the term " macileyita " 

 given by Dr. Bowerbank to one of them, which is also a 

 British species. 



Ectyon sparsus, Gray, PI. XVII. figs. 1-3. 



Kerataceous, massive, erect, compressed, sessile, tawny 

 yellow or sponge-colour. Sm-face even, undulating ; edges 

 obtuse, round ; free throughout, except at the point of attach- 

 ment, which is contracted and sessile. Oscules of two kinds, 

 viz. large and small, scattered generally all over the sponge 

 (PI. XVII. fig. 2) ; large oscules {a a) separate and single, small 

 oscules (b h) frequently aiTanged in a petaloid manner. Pores 

 situated in the minutely reticulated surface generally. Inter- 

 nally cavernous, canaliferous ; canals tortuous, branched. 

 Structure fibrous ; fibre horny, round, reticulated and anasto- 

 mosing, bearing spicules on its outer side only (fig. 1, a « a). 

 Spicule of one form only, viz. acuate, slightly curved, verti- 

 cillately spined at regular intervals throughout, except to- 

 ward the point or free end, which is smooth (fig. 3, a, h) ; ob- 

 tuse end a little smaller than the following portion of the 

 shaft, covered with spines and sunk into the outer side of the 

 fibre, which appears, under the microscope, to be hollow and 

 rough or micropmictate (fig. 1). Spicide about 1-1 83rd of an 

 inch long and l-3000th of an inch in maximum Avidth. Size 

 of entire specimen 10 inches long, 5 inches high, and about 

 2 inches wide. 



Hah. Marine. 



Loc. West Indies. 



Ohs. This appears to be the specimen represented by Dr. 

 Bowerbank in his fig. 289, which is stated to be a " West- 

 Indian sponge." By Schmidt's mounted specimens at the British 

 Museum, I see that it is his Chalinopsis clathrodes, which 



