.M. K. A. Zittel on Fossil Lithistidce. 331 



Under this denomination are included a number of amor- 

 phous sponge-bodies without large ostia or canals, resembling 

 Astroholia and Chonella in skeletal characters. They have 

 hitherto been generally referred to Amorphospongia. 



*1. AmorpJiospongia palmata^^onx.^^on^it. -s\x. S. 8eno- 

 nian, Sutmerberg. 



ASTROBOLIA, Zitt. 



Asterospongia p. p., Stellispongia p. p., Rom, 



Cnemidium p. p., E,euss. 



Cytofacea, Rhagosphecion, and Asteropagta p. p., Pom. 



Sponge nodose, irregular. Surface with coarser or finer 

 pores, from which slender canals penetrate the skeleton j on the 

 upper surface larger oscula, which acquire a stellate appear- 

 ance by their connexion with furrows. Skeleton uniformly 

 composed of nodular elements branched at the ends, and 

 agreeing in form with those of BoUdlum. 



The species of this genus, readily recognizable by the 

 radiate oscula and irregular form, have been generally referred 

 to Asterospongia or Stellispongia. These genera, however, 

 ai-e so composite that they cannot be sustained in the sense of 

 D'Orbigny and Romer. For the forms with large pit-like 

 oscula {Stellispongia impressa^ Rom.) Pomel established the 

 genus Cytoracea. The species occur in the Cretaceous. 



*1. Cnemidium conglohatum^ Reuss, Kr. xvi. 2, 3. Ceno- 

 manian. 



2. Cnemidium stellatum, Reuss, ib. xvi. 1. Cenomanian. 

 StelKspongia Heussi, Gein. Elbth, vi. 3. 



3. Stellispongia Michelini^ Gein. Elbth. vi. 2. Ceno- 

 manian. 



*4. Stellispongia hemisphoerica^ Rom. Spongit. xvii. 3. Seno- 

 nian. 



*5. Stellispongia conglomerata, Rom. ib. xvii. 4. Turonian, 

 Salzgitter. 



6. Asterospongia glohosa^ Rom. ib. xix. 5. Senonian, Sut- 

 merberg. 



7. Asterospongia tenella, Rom. ib. liv. 6. Senonian, Sut- 

 merberg. 



8. Stellispongia plauensis pp., Gein. Elbth. vi. 1 (nou v. 

 7, 8). Cenomanian. 



9. Stellispongia impressa, Rom. Spongit. xvii. 2. Senonian, 

 Sutmerberg (Quenst. Pctr. cxxxiii. 12). 



? 10. Stellispongia grandis, Rom. ib. xvii. 1. Sutmerberg. 



