and Acajjuico Sponges. 273 



Surface uniformly and finely reticulated in relief, on account 

 of the dermal sarcode subsiding on the subjacent fibrous 

 structure. Vents numerous, large and scattered, chiefly on 

 the prominent parts. Internal structure finely cellular, arising 

 from the sarcode tympanizing the ineshes of the fine skeletal 

 fibro-reticulation 5 traversed by the branches of the excretory 

 canal-system, which terminates in the vents mentioned ; fibre 

 for the most part tough, translucent, resilient, and yellowish 

 in colour, terminating on the surface in pointed knots or tags, 

 cored with a little sand, from which the psamraonematous 

 filament, otherwise ditficultly distinguishable, may be traced 

 internally. Largest specimen, which is the subglobular one, 

 6x3x5 inches. 



Hah. Marine. Growing on hard objects. 



Loc. Puerto Cabello. 



Ohs. Having in my possession a specimen of the so-called 

 " best Turkey sponge " of commerce, wdiich was obtained in 

 the Black Sea and preserved in spirit while fresh, I am enabled 

 10 compare it satisfactorily with the West-Indian specimens, 

 of which there are both dry and fresh ones, and thus to state 

 that there is no specific distinction between the two. The 

 coarser forms from the Mediterranean, called in commerce 

 " honeycomb sponges," are also to be found in the West 

 Indies ; and, indeed, the two kinds appear to me to occur 

 together at the Cape, the Mauritius, in the sea around S.W. 

 Australia, and all over the world ; but not being so large, or 

 so plentiful, or of such a convenient shape as in the Mediter- 

 ranean, their occurrence for the most part is disregarded in a 

 commercial point of view, although a good collection from diffe- 

 rent localities would form a most interesting zoological 

 demonstration of their comparative differences. Meanwhile 

 the vitality of these sponges is so great that they are now 

 grown from '^ cuttings " in the Adriatic for commercial pur- 

 poses. When a section of the AVest-Indian sponge in its 

 dried state is made, the internal structure presents a light 

 brown colour, which contrasts strongly with the dark purple- 

 black thin layer of the dermal sarcode ; and this is the case 

 also with the coarser kinds. It is very probable that there 

 are degrees of fineness between the '' best Turkey sponge " 

 and the " honeycomb " ones ; but to describe these would be 

 more troublesome than useful in a zoological point of view. 



Family 2. Hircinida. 



Hircinia caracasensisj n. sp. 

 Massive, sessile, globular, with a tendency to rise into 



