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



tially, so as to become deeply coloured here and there, it was 

 quite sufficient for me to be able to distinguish the spongozoa 

 from the other parts of the structure &c., as "^viU be seen here- 

 after. Meanwhile, as Schmidt's description is rather meagre, 

 and the sponge would appear not to have been noticed on our 

 coasts before, it may not be unacceptable to some to have the 

 following description of the specimen that I have just found 

 on the south coast of Devon. 



Halisarca lohularis, Schmidt. 



General form. — Sponge lobate, consisting of irregularly 

 lobed ridges about a line high, extending themselves in 

 branched digitations over the rock and adjoining sponges. 

 Lobes ficoid, agglomerated, divided into minute lobuli with 

 angular pits or intervals^between them where they cannot, 

 from their rounded form, come into contact. Surface smooth, 

 sleek, and of a pink colour on the prominent portions, passing 

 into light brown-yellow below. Vents sparse, situated here 

 and there on the lobes, not raised above the surface, and 

 sufficiently large to be visible to the naked eye. Pores 

 minute and numerous, each consisting of a round aperture 

 situated in the centre of a papilliform ring — which rings being 

 in juxtaposition, thus form the dermal surface of the lobule. 



Internal structm-e composed of spongozoa, aggregated into 

 sac-like forms of various shapes and sizes, some of which are 

 distinctly conical elongate, and have their narrow ends 

 respectively in connexion with a canal leading inwards from 

 the pore, imbedded in a kind of trama consisting of sarcode 

 (filamentous ?) and granuliferous cells, but with their confines 

 neatly defined by a translucent linear interval ; also of pore- 

 canals forming a network extending inwards from the surface, 

 and of a branched system of excretory canals terminating in 

 the vents. No spicules of any kind, but here and there small 

 globular masses of minute uniform granules possessing a nucleus 

 (nuclear utricle), and small spherical opaque nucleus (nuc- 

 leolus), with germinal spot or vesicle, no doubt ova. Pink 

 colour confined to the spongozoa in the prominent parts of 

 the lobes, whereby their sac-like aggregations here become 

 more distinctly differentiated. 



Size of specimen about 1| inch long by 1 inch wide and 

 1 line high. Pores of the specimen in spirit 1-1 660th inch 

 in diameter ; papilliform circles surrounding them from 1^- 

 2-830ths inch in diameter. Vents variable in size, but large 

 enough to be seen by the unassisted eye. 



Hah. New Red Sandstone rocks, lower surface; between tides. 



Loc. South coast of Devon, Budleigh-Saltertou. 



