Mr. H. J. Carter on Halisarca lobularis. 433 



LX. — 071 Halisarca lobularis, Schmidt^ off the South Coast of 

 Devon^ with Observations on the Relationship o/^/ie SpONGES 

 to the AsciDiANS, and Hints for Microscopy. By H. J. 

 Cartee, F.K.S. &c. 



Referring to my account of Halisarca Dujardinii given in 

 the number of the ' Annals ' for April, 1874, p. 315, 1 (taking 

 advantage of the low tide on the 17th April) again visited the 

 "rocks" here, for the purpose, if possible, of finding out the 

 habitat of this sponge, and, when the tide was at its lowest 

 ebb, observed it plentifully on short bits of Chondrus crisjms 

 and other small flat-fronded seaweeds of the same kind. But 

 it may grow here and there on almost any and every thing, 

 even to the bare rock itself, although, to the best of my know- 

 ledge, never anywhere where it is likely to be uncovered long 

 by the sea-water. 



In his ' Adriatic Sponges ' of 1862, p. 80, Schmidt states, 

 with reference to what Johnston said in England of this 

 sponge, and Lieberkiihn in Heligoland, that it was "white" 

 {toeiss). But if we are to take as " white" sponges Orantia 

 nivea and the like, which look like so much snow, then the term 

 "white" is not applicable to Halisarca Dujardinii. 



Dujardin, who found it on the coast of Normandy and first 

 described it, uses the term " blanchatre ; " Johnston, who 

 found it on the coast of Northumberland, called it " straw- or 

 ochre-yellow-coloured, mottled ;" and Lieberkiihn, who studied 

 it in Heligoland, uses the words " weisslich grau; " while my 

 own observations in this respect accord with those of Johnston, 

 to which it might be added that when transferred to spirit and 

 water, it becomes opaque and more yellow from the coagulating 

 power of the alcohol over the translucent albumen of which 

 the sponge is chiefly composed. 



While engaged in looking after the habitat of Halisarca 

 Dujardinii., I observed a pinkish lobulated substance growing 

 on the rock amongst as well as over other sponges, and, 

 having knocked off the bit of rock on which it was growing, 

 without much injuring the sponge itself, put the whole into 

 sea-water immediately, and thus took it home ; where on closer 

 examination I found it to be a specimen of Schmidt's Hali- 

 sarca lohularis^ of the Adriatic Sea, hitherto, I think, not 

 enumerated among the sponges of the British coasts. 



The diagnosis of this sponge given in Latin by Schmidt 

 {L c.) is short and conclusive, viz. : — " Halisarca obscure 

 violacea irregulariter plicata et lobata." 



On the following day I fed this specimen of Halisarca 

 lohularis with indigo ; and although it only took in this par- 



