DENDY— HOMOSCLEROPHORA AND ASTROTETRAXONIDA 253 



Sponges of France [1900] Topsent fully discussed the synonymy of Vioa johnstonii (up to 

 date) and decided upon the name Coppatias Johnstoni, rejecting Gray's generic name 

 Jaspis on the ground that the diagnosis of that genus had no scientific value and could 

 not be accepted. A few years later, however, he had changed his opinion, and in his work 

 on the Sponges of the Azores [1904 a] he accepted Gray's name. 



If we are to accept others of Gray's generic names, proposed in the same paper as 

 Jaspis [1867 f], as has lately been done in the case, for example, of Mycale, I certainly do 

 not see how we can refuse to accept Jaspis ; indeed, according to the laws of nomenclature, 

 I believe we are bound to accept it, for not only did Gray give a diagnosis but he 

 mentioned a type, and there can be no possible doubt as to what he meant. 



The character of the oxea, and especially of the centrotylote microxea of Jaspis 

 johnstonii, suggests that this genus may have originated directly from some pachastrellid 

 ancestor without having passed through a stellettid stage, but until we have more 

 evidence that this is the case it seems better to include it with the other " epipolasid " 

 genera in the Stellettidse. 



14. Jaspis johnstonii (Schmidt). 



(Plate 47, fig. 2.) 



Vioa Johnstonii Schmidt [1862]. 



Jaspis Johnstonii Gray [1867 p]. 



Vioa Johnstonii var. Schmidt [1868]. 



Vioa Schmidtii Carter [1882 a]. 



Astropeplus pulcher Sollas [1888]. 



Dorypleres incrustans Topsent [1892 c]. 



Coppatias inconditus Topsent [1892 d]. 



Xenospongia johnstonii Lendenfeld [1896]. 



Asteropus incrustans Lendenfeld [1896]. 



Coppatias Johnstoni Topsent [1898 b]. ' 



"i Dorypleres biangulata Lindgren [1898]. 



Coppatias Johnstoni Topsent [1900]. 



1 Jaspis biangulata Thiele [1903 b]. 



Jaspis Johnstoni Topsent [1904 a]. 



Jaspis johnstoni var. incrustans Topsent [1904 a]. 



1 Coppatias albescens Row [1911]. 



The specimen forms a thin crust of a light pinkish-brown colour, spreading over and 

 cementing together a mass of Siliquaria shells and other calcareous debris. The vents 

 are minute and scattered. The soft tissues contain numerous granular brown pigment- 

 cells. 



The skeleton is a more or less dense feltwork of small oxea and microxea. 



Spicules : — (1) Short, stout, fusiform oxea (Plate 47, fig. 2 a); slightly curved; usually 

 very gradually and finely pointed, but . may be a little blunted and may also occasionally 

 become stylote, but styli are rare. Size when full-grown about 0-46 by 0-024 mm. 



(2) Microxea (fig. 2 h) ; sharply pointed, curved, usually centrotylote, closely 

 resembhng the microxea of Erylus ; size very variable, say about 0-08 by 0-004 mm., 



