284 Mr. H. J. Carter on some West-Indian 



mixed witli foreign microscopic objects, viz. sand-grains, 

 fragmentary sponge-spicules, &c. JSpicnles of three kinds, 

 viz. : — 1, skeletal, acerate, smooth, cnrved, fusiform, pointed at 

 each end, ahout 35 by l-6000tli inch in its greatest dimen- 

 sions (PI. XL tig. 14, a) ; 2, tiesh-spicule, l)ihamatc, minute, 

 simple, C-shaped, and sigmoid, about 4-GOOOths inch long 

 (fig. 14, i) ; 3, fiesh-spicule, equianchorate, very minute, about 

 2^-G0(J0ths inch long (tig. 14, c, 6?). No. 1 is chiefly con- 

 fined to the skeletal fibre, with no. 2 plentifully and no. 3 

 scantily dispersed throughout the sarcode. Size of specimen 

 about 4 inches square. 



Hah. ]\[arine. Attached to Pontes furcatus. 



Loc. Antigua; Falmouth harbour. 



Ohs. The crumb-of-bread-like appearance and dermal struc- 

 ture of this species very much resemble those of Halichondria 

 mcrustans, while the presence of the equianchorate, which, 

 although extremely minute, is in form also like that of 

 this sponge, tends to increase the analogy ; but the single 

 acerate form of skeletal spicule, together with the abundance 

 of minute bilunuales, allies it more to the Fibulifera. From 

 the variety of microscopic foreign objects present in the fibre 

 and sarcode, it might at first be conjectured that the equi- 

 anchorate, wdiich is an exceptional occurrence, was a foreign 

 object also ; but there are several specimens of the same species 

 in the British Museum, numbered 20G d, " w»," &c., from 

 the West Indies, in which the same kind of anchorate is 

 equally present ; so we must conclude that it belongs to the 

 species; and hence the designation. 



The presence of foreign objects with the proper spicules 

 gives this sponge a mixed character, which would claim for it 

 a family, like that of the " Pseudochalinida " before men- 

 tioned, which, under like conditions, might be termed 

 '^ Pseudofibularidina." 



Jientera Jibulataj Sdt. 



Globular, massive, furnished with large patulous crevice-like 

 vents. Densely charged with the minute coralline, Jania, to 

 which I have before alluded under '^ Dysidea tuhulosa " 

 (p. 275). Dredged in the harbour of Acapulco by Capt. W. 

 11. Cawne Warren. 



Ohs. The type specimen of Reniera accommodata^ Sdt., 

 from Cette, in the P)ritish Museum, not only contains the usual 

 bihamates but tricurvatcs also (Spong. v. Algier, p. ,']()}. 



