142 Miscellaneous. 



Note on Spougia linteiformis and S. lycopodium, Esper. 

 By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. &c. 



There is in the British Museum a specimen of a sponge-like body 

 which was received from the Philippine Islands. Mr. Carter, on 

 examining it with the microscope, determined it to be an alga 

 nearly allied to CladopJiora, with elongated tubular joints, and 

 having an ovate-acute terminal joint. It agrees so well with the 

 figure and description of Spongia linteiformis of Esper's ' Pflanzen- 

 thiere,' Supplement i. p. 205, t. 58, which he received from the 

 Missionary John, from Tranquebar, that I have no doubt it is the 

 same alga. The original type of Esper's species does not appear to 

 be preserved with several of the others in the University Museum at 

 Erlangen ; at least Dr. Ehlers does not refer to it in his account of 

 the examination of Esper's type-sponges in that museum, published 

 in 1870. 



Esper, in his description, refers to Spongia lycopodium (p. 269, 

 t. 43), from the Mediterranean, as being like S. linteiformis, but 

 differing from it in texture and form. It is very like our specimens, 

 but the branches do not coalesce so as to form an anastomosing 

 mass. The type specimen of this species is in the Erlangen Museum ; 

 and, according to Dr. Ehlers, Dr. Kraus has decided that it is a 

 specimen of Cladopliora spongiomorpha. 



Spongia linteiformis from the Philippines is a different species 

 from any of the specimens of Cladopliora spongiomorpJia that I have 

 seen, and may be called Cladopliora linteiformis. 



On the Development of an Appendiculate Distoma *, 

 By Dr. E. yon "Wixlimoes-Stjhm. 



A free-living, asexual Distoma is, so far as I know, still imknown ; 

 and yet one is very frequently to be observed, both in the Baltic and 

 in the Sound, from the middle of June onwards. As will hereafter 

 appear, it is a Distoma of the appendiculate group, which, at the time 

 when it has passed through the Cercaria-state but does not yet 

 possess the introverted tail, probably migrates out of a mollusk and 

 for a time leads a free predaceous life. It adheres firmly by suction 

 to the larvae of worms and Copepoda, and gradually eats them en- 

 tirely out ; for one half of its body is often immersed in a C^jclops 

 whilst the other half sticks out. It then rolls itself up and wanders 

 about with the dead envelope, but does not become encysted in it, as 

 Prof. Mobius, who long since observed the animal, seems to suppose. 

 It now grows rapidly ; the tail (which shows the group to which it 

 belongs) becomes introverted, the excretory organ is most distinctly 

 recognizable, and the rudiments of the genitalia begin to show them- 



* The name Distoma appendiculatum, Hud., refers, as Wagner especi- 

 ally has shown, to various fomis, which are found in many species of 

 fishes. 



