362 Mr. H. J. Carter on Specimens 



scopula as not onlj allied, but as furnishing instances of the 

 lowest and least complicated forms of the nautiloid test among 

 the Foraminifera ; while the presence of Gypsina melohesioidesy 

 intercalated with the layers of a Melohesia and plentifully 

 accompanied by Holocladina pustulifera and Carpenteria 

 utricularisj together with a variety of sponges and other 

 minute organisms in small quantities, testifies not only to the 

 great part which the Foraminifera have taken in the formation 

 of many of these so-called " Melobesian nodules," but to the 

 number of beings which have lived on and have become over- 

 grown by the laminae of which they are chiefly composed, 

 during their progressive formation. 



Among the new species of sponges may be mentioned CUona 

 Warreni (so designated to commemorate not only the gift of 

 these valuable specimens, but their having been dredged from 

 the bottom of the sea also by Capt. Warren), together with 

 two new species of Discodermida. 



Again, with reference to the specimens from Bass's Straits 

 referred to me for observation, it may be stated briefly that 

 they chiefly consist of calcareous Polyzoa, which have over- 

 grown difit'erent kinds of sponges, whose forms they now re- 

 spectively represent ; for in many instances the sponge may be 

 seen inside the case formed by the Polyzoon. Indeed it looks 

 as if these specimens had been dredged from a bed of sponges 

 which had become invaded, overgrown, and thus more or less 

 destroyed by a colony of Polyzoa. 



Among the sponges, however, there are a few interesting 

 forms which can easily be recognized as new species ; and these 

 will be described in their proper places : — viz. two which 

 appear to belong to the genus Axos, also a Dictyocylindrus 

 marked by an unusual development in quantity of the eclii- 

 nating spicule, and a specimen of EcMnonema typicum^ which, 

 together with E. anchoratum^ from otlier collections, I have for 

 the first time fully described, having hitherto only mentioned 

 them by name. There are also several specimens of Dysidea 

 Kirldi^ Bk., an Australian species of my group " Arenosa^' 

 among the " Psammonemata," which appears to be exceed- 

 ingly abundant everywhere on the southern coast of this great 

 continent, although the Bass's- Straits specimens in particular 

 are not very fine ; still it has afforded me an opportunity of 

 going into the whole history of Dysidea^ and of giving a full 

 description of the Australian species from the total number of 

 specimens of the latter that have come under my obser- 

 vation. 



It should be remembered, as stated in the first " Report," 

 that all the specimens are dry. 



