and Acapulco S/Jon^es. 281 



Hab. Marine. 



Loc. New Zealand and Australia. 



Cavochalina digitata^ var. arenosa^ n. s. 



Base of attacliment irregular, snbsessile, rising into a group 

 of hollow knotted tubes, simple or branched, increasing in 

 size towards the free ends, which are thus rendered patulous. 

 Vents numerous, opening internally. Fibre kerasine, resilient, 

 cored or axiated with acerate spicules, among which are many 

 microscopic foreign objects, sand-grains &c. Size of group 

 10 inches high and 65 inches broad ; free ends of tubes 1-2 

 inches in diameter. (British Museum no. 589, registered 

 72. 5. 21. 25.) 



Hah. Marine. 



Loc. Swan River, W. Australia. 



Order V. ECIIINONEMATA. 

 Family 1. Ectyonida. 



Ectyon sjyai'siis, Gray. 



Of this sponge there are two specimens, of which the largest 

 presents an irregular form about 6 inches in its longest dia- 

 meter, growing upon a piece of an old coral detritus, covered 

 with Pvlytrcma miniaceum. 



Log. Antigua. 



Ohs. This species, which I described and illustrated under 

 the above name (' Annals,' 1871, vol. vii. p. 270, pi. xvii.), 

 is evidently the " Aj'elas " of de F. et M. (p. 76, pi. xv. figs. 1 

 and 2) , and so common in the West Indies that it would 

 be hardly possible to find a collection of sponges from thence 

 without it. I possess a species from the Mauritius, dififering 

 only in the larger size and still greater beauty of the ornamen- 

 tation on the surface of the spicule. It appears to be repre- 

 sented in Europe by Clcdhria coralloides, Sdt. (Spong. Adriat. 

 Meeres, S. 58, Taf. v. figs. 10 and 11). Representations of 

 two different species are given by Dr. Bowerbank under the 

 name of " West-Indian sponges " (Mon. Brit. Spong. vol. i. 

 pp. 275, 276, pi. xvii. figs. 289 and 290), called afterwards 

 respectively Ectyon sparsus and E. fascicularis by Dr. Gray 

 in 1867 (Proc. Zool Soc. 1867, p. 515) ; while Schmidt, in 

 1870, enumerates several s])ecies from the West Indies under 

 the generic name of " Glial! nopnis'''' (Spongf. Atlant. Gebiet. 

 S. 59 et seq.^ Taf. v. figs. 2a, /*, spicules only). I have not 

 yet seen specimens from any other part of the world, although 



