1126 A MONOGRAPH OF THE AUSTRALIAN SPONGES, 



with diohotomoiis branches, every terminal branch with a simple 

 naked Osculum. The branches form sometime anastomoses. 

 The Sponge represents in outer appearance the coral Cladocora 

 cajspitosa, and forms an elongate cushion measuring 40 — 70 x 30 

 — 50 X 20 — 40 mm. The number of persons forming a colony is 

 great (sometimes several hundred). The Australian specimen, 

 which are slightly branched, each branch measures 30 to 50 mm., 

 and more, in length, and 3-6 mm., in thickness. The bare Oscula 

 have only a diameter of | to 1 mm. AU persons are curved, the 

 concave side towards the interior of the colony. 



Skeleton. The main mass is formed by middle-sized trii'adiate 

 spicules. The rays are at an average 0*2 to 4 x 0'012 to 0"02 

 mm., subregular or sagittal. The rays are slender, mostly 

 slightly, often much curved, rarely quite straight. In the sagittal 

 triradiate spicules both the lateral rays more curved, the basal ray 

 straight and at the end inflated. On the inner surface of the large 

 canals there are many sagittal quadriradiate spicules of the same 

 shape and size. Apical ray is only short, 0-05 mm. Character- 

 istic of this species is the armer-like cortex of the outer surface, 

 tvhich consists of one or more layers of the. very large acerates. 

 These are spindle-shaped, either tapering equally towards both 

 ends, or thicker in the outer poi-tion, sometimes inflated. They 

 are slightly curved, seldom quite straight, 1 to 3 x 0-07 to 0-1 

 mm. All acerate spicules are situated parallel in the dermal 

 surface and extend longitudinally. The interstices of acerate 

 spicules are filled up with sagittal triradiate spicules, of which 

 the basal-ray is parallel to the longitudinal ones of the acerate 

 spicules and pointing downwards. The outer surface sometimes 

 quite smooth and bare, sometimes velvet-like, as everywhere a 

 mass of very fine bristly acerate spicules stand vertically on it. 

 These spicules are O'l — 0*3 x O'OOl mm. 



41. SPECIES. LEUCANDRA CONICA. Nov. Spec. 



A small solitary, irregular, more or less cylindrical Sponge with 

 an Osculum, which bears a small hardly perceptible fringe of 

 spicules but appears naked. Outer and inner surface are pretty 



