Mr. H. J. Carter on the Nomenclature o/* Clathrina. 279 



sponge are composed of very fine spicula, and are intersected 

 with numerous large pores and cavities, giving the appearance 

 of singed leather or a piece of dark-coloured worm-eaten wood 

 in a very decayed state. One side is rather smooth, with 

 circular depressions or cavities. The only specimen that has 

 occurred is depressed, four inches in length and above two in 

 breadth." These are his words (a;?. Johnston). "Depressed" 

 cannot apply to Dr. Bowerbank's Raphyrus Qriffithsii^ as 

 suggested by this author (p. 36, 1, c.) ; for the latter, from its 

 structure and mode of growth, must, when of the dimensions 

 mentioned, be more or less thick or elevated ; while the calci- 

 sponge must, from its structure and mode of growth, be equally 

 more or less thin or depressed. Besides, we have only to turn 

 to Johnston (p. 124) to see that Raphyrus Qriffithsii is no new 

 genus at all, but a free form of Cliona {Halicliondria^ Johnst.) 

 celata, which Montagu seems to have had in view " when he 

 drew up the description of his Spongia fava^ Both the 

 calcisponge and the Cliona {Raphyrus Griffithsii) occur here 

 in great abundance, the former, as above stated, on the rocks, 

 and the latter in masses larger than the fist, which, drifting 

 about in the sea (perhaps after having destroyed the oyster- 

 shells in which they commenced their existence), are cast 

 ashore in great quantity dm'ing heavy gales of wind from the 

 south. I am therefore able to state, from personal observa- 

 tion, that Montagu's Spongia coriacea was intended for the 

 calcisponge, and not for the Cliona. 



In 1842, Johnston gave a figure and description of this 

 calcisponge under the name of Grantia coriacea [op. oil. p. 183) ; 

 in 1864 it appears in Dr. Bowerbank's ' Monograph ' (vol. ii. 

 p. 34) with the name oi Leucosolenia coriacea] in 1864 it is 

 also figured and described by Schmidt (Supp. Adriat. Spong. 

 p. 24, t. iii. fig. 3) under the name of Grantia clathrus ; and, 

 lastly, in 1867, Dr. Gray (Proc. Zool. Soc. p. 557) has called 

 it Clathrina sulphurea, which, wisely and fortunately, has 

 been adopted by Hack el in his " Prodi'omus " (Annals, March 

 1870, vol. V. p. 183). Dr. Gray very properly made it the 

 type of a distinct genus, which Hackel has accepted. 



A few specimens of this sponge were dredged up from about 

 20 fathoms by Schmidt, in the Adi-iatic Sea ; but they were 

 not good ones, as his figure and description testify. " Oscula 

 in summitate ramusculorum brevium " does not exactly apply 

 to this sponge as I have above described it ; nor does the 

 meagreness of Schmidt's figure of a dredged specimen, as 

 might be expected, accord with the more or less expanded, 

 circular, and circumscribed patches of continuous dense net- 

 work in which this sponge presents itself in full and robust 



