Dr. A. B. Meyer on Ilyalonema cebuense. 77 



from a friend in Cebu, Mr. Hepp, who had taken it himself from 

 the specimen, which was in the possession of Mr. Legaspi there, 

 a native known to possess a large collection of shells &c., which 

 I examined myself when on Cebu in 1872. I expressed 

 the wish to Dr. Gray that he might describe or notice the 

 sponge, as apparently distinct from all the other new forms 

 which I had brought home from there (viz. Meyerina clavce- 

 formis, Croieromorplia Meyert, Bossella pliili'ppinensis, and 

 Labaria hemisjyhcerica), all described by Dr. Gray; but Dr. 

 Gray " did not venture to notice the sponge from the photo- 

 graph," and I, of course, still less. My exertions to get the spe- 

 cimen itself from Cebu were in vain till now ; but if you will 

 compare the photograph, which it would be perhaps interesting 

 to reproduce in your Journal as a woodcut*, with the figure of 

 Hyalonema cebuense on plate xxi. (I. c.) the identity of both is 

 not to be overlooked a moment. The habitat of this species, 

 "Cebu," as stated by Mr. Higgin, seems to be confirmed 

 hereby. But I do not believe that these sponges are obtained 

 there by diving, but only by dredging in a similar manner as 

 I described it shortly in your Journal for January 1874, which 

 note affords occasionally a more detailed account. 



E. Natural History Museum, Very respectfully, 



Dresden, June 6, 1875. A. B. MEYER. 



Note by Mr. Higgin. 

 Dear Sir, 



I have the pleasure to return to you Dr. Meyer's letter of 

 the 6th inst., with the photograph attached to it, and thank 

 you much for sending it for my perusal. 



I think there can be no doubt that the sponge photographed 

 is an example of Hyalonema cebuense ; it is, however, ap- 

 parently in a very decayed condition, and seems to have 

 entirely lost the beautiful latticework surface shown in the 

 Liverpool-Museum specimen. 



It is satisfactory to have the locality of the Liverpool sponge 

 thus confirmed ; and we may hope that other examples will 

 have been obtained by H.M.S. 'Challenger ' during her recent 

 dredging-cruise amongst the Philippine Islands. 

 Huyton, I am, dear Sir, 



June 1 7, 1875. Yours very faithfully, 



To Br. Francis. Thomas Higgin. 



* [As, from the note which Mr. Higgin has had the kindness to append 

 to this paper, there cannot be the slightest doubt as to the identity of this 

 specimen with his //. cebuense, we do not consider it necessary to reproduce 

 tlic photograph. — Ens.] 



