370 Mr. H. J. Carter on Specimens 



Cliona Warrent, n. sp. 

 (PL XVIII. fig. 6, a-cl) 



Burrowing under a layer of Melobesia, and coming to the 

 surface through circular apertures scattered irregularly over 

 the Melobesiau nodule (fig. 6, a). Colour dark brown now. 

 Apertures l-16th to l-8th inch in diameter; the smaller 

 ones poriferous and filled with a tuft of pin-like spicules held 

 together by dark brown sarcode, with their points outwards 

 (fig. 6, b) ; the larger ones, being vents, are empty and open 

 (fig. 6, c). Spicule of one form only, viz. pin-like ; head 

 almost spherical, neck much constricted ; shaft large, fusiform, 

 thicker than the head, curved, gradually sharp-pointed, the 

 whole smooth (fig. 6, d), total length l-51st inch. Size of 

 nodule about 1^ inch in diameter. 



Hah. Marine. Burrowing under Melobesia. 



Loc. Gulf of Manaar. 



Obs. The form of the spicule generally and there being no 

 others, together with the dark brown sarcode (when dry), 

 contrasting strongly with the light-coloured Melobesia through 

 the circular openings, characterizes this species. As regards 

 the present colour, it does not differ much from that of Cliona 

 celata when dry, which in its fresh state may be golden or 

 chrome-yellow. 



Suberites Jistulatus. 



In the description of this sponge (in the former report) I 

 have omitted to mention the presence of a minute, simple, 

 tricurvate flesh-spicule, about 5-6000ths inch long — that is, 

 about half the length of the equianchorate, whicli anchorate, 

 again, in its full development, is so much bent as to cause the 

 middle arms to be closely approximated. 



Thoosa socialis. 



Having found a good specimen of this species lining the 

 sponge-eaten cavities of a Melobesian nodule, and stretching 

 across them in thin films, a bit of the latter was placed in 

 water under the microscope for examination, when the pecu- 

 liar spicule characterizing this species (' Annals,' 1880, vol. vi. 

 pi. V. fig. 23, a) was found to be accompanied by the same 

 kind of flesh-spicules as those of Alectona Higgiai [ibid. 

 fig. 25, J, c), while the cake-shaped form (fig. 23, J, c) was 

 not present. 



This at first appeared to me inexplicable ; but on comparing 

 the characteristic skeleton-spicule of Thoosa socialis [I. c.) 

 with that of Alectoiia Higgini (fig. 25, a) it became evident 



