Miscellaneous. 313 



process, and so on. Thus is produced a small rolled-up organism, 

 analogous to a Miliola. This roUing-up soon becomes irregular, 

 like a ball, and finally the new chambers erect themselves, become 

 ramified in various waj's, and form a dendritic mass. In the fur- 

 ther course of the development the different shells constituting these 

 masses become detached from each other, increase in size, multiply 

 in various ways which cannot be described here, and, after having 

 attained certain dimensions, propagate again by embryos which 

 recommence the same cycles. 



A great number of other new facts further characterize this 

 organism, such as frequent moultings, the formation of multiple 

 septa at the expense of the inner membrane of the shell, &c. 



From what precedes it seems that hitherto the adult form may 

 have been misunderstood in certain Foraminifera. In fact the 

 descriptions are only of twisted forms, or at least forms in which 

 all the chambei's are in continuity. Now I have just shown that 

 this was an embryonic stage in the organism here under considera- 

 tion. It seems to me very improbable that this alone presents these 

 phenomena to the exclusion of all other species. The deficiency of 

 observations upon the mode of reproduction of the latter confirms 

 my opinion. — Comptes Eendus, March 12, 1888, p. 769. 



A neiu Freshwater Sponge. By Henky Mills. 



Heteromei/erda radiospiculata, n. sp. 



Sponge massive ; specimen 3 X 2g x 2 inches in thickness ; texture 

 close, compact ; surface nodular ; statoblasts or gemmula; uniformly 

 globular ; diameter -02 parts of an inch ; crust thick, charged with 

 two distinct forms of birotulate spicula, the inner ends of both 

 resting on the chitinous coat of the statoblast. 



Foraminal opening small, slightly prolonged, not funnel-shaped. 



Skelcton-spicula generally smooth, a few sparsely microspined ; 

 curved, modtrately sharp-pointed ; length varying from -012 to 

 •014 parts of an inch ; long birotulatcs vary in length from •007 to 

 •009 parts of an inch. From thirty to sixty of these project irregu- 

 larly from each statoblast, reaching out beyond the shorter birotu- 

 latcs, one fourth or more the diameter of the statoblast, and termi- 

 nating in rotulne, consisting of numerous, strong, recurved hooks, 

 some of which are turned inward pointing directly to the shaft. 

 Shaft more or less spined, slightly curved, larger in the middle ; 

 width of rotute -0012. 



Shorter birotulatcs large, symmetrical, with irregularly dentate 

 rotulaj ; rotula) boletiform ; shafts straight, strongly spined, s^nnes 

 at right angles to shaft tapering to a point. 



Length of short birotulate -003 inch. Width of rotulae "001. 

 Dermal or flcsh-spicula numerous throughout, small, hexradiate- 

 stellate ; with rays or arms of various extent proceeding in all 

 directions from a common centre ; centre "without form or other 



