Dr. J. E. Gray on Sponges. 161 



XXIV. — Observations on Sponges and on their Arrangement 

 and Nomenclature. By Dr. J. E. Geay, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., 

 F.L.S., &c. 



I EEAD before the Zoological Society, in May last, some Notes 

 on Sponges, in which I gave a Synopsis of the different 

 arrangements that had been proposed for Sponges, and sug- 

 gested a new one by which I hope that any one who will col- 

 lect together the spicules of any specimen of sponge will be 

 able at once to determine the order and family and also the 

 genus to which it belongs. 



As the proposed system contained many innovations, it has 

 produced some discussion and opposition, which was to be ex- 

 pected. In the following observations I have attempted to 

 meet the objections that have been made by various persons. 

 As these persons generally take Dr. Bowerbank's ' British 

 Sponges ' as their text, I fear my observations will appear as if 

 chiefly directed against that work. They are made, however, 

 in the cause of science and in the hope of rendering the struc- 

 ture and arrangement of Sponges better understood, and not 

 in the least from any ill feeling towards the author, for whom 

 I have great personal regard. 



Until the publication of Dr. Bowerbank's Essay in the 

 ' Philosophical Transactions ' and Dr. Oscar Schmidt's work 

 on the Sponges of the Adriatic, no attempt was made to ar- 

 range Sponges into genera based on their structure and or- 

 ganization, or to arrange the genera into natural groups. 

 Bowerbank's series of papers commenced in 1858 ; but the 

 systematic part of these works appeared nearly simultaneously 

 in the year 1862. 



Nardo, it is true, studied the Sponges of the Adriatic, and 

 some years before proposed an arrangement of them ; but he 

 never published any characters for the genera or species which 

 he names ; and his names are only known by prescription or 

 to those who may have received specimens named by him. 

 Dr. O. Schmidt uses some of Nardo's generic names, giving 

 characters to them, and in some cases evidently restricting their 

 significance. Such genera can only date from their publica- 

 tion in Dr. 0. Schmidt's work — that is, from 1862. 



One of the most careful and intelligent students of the lower 

 animals in this country, whose name often appears in the 

 ' British Sponges ' (not observing that Dr. Bowerbank's and Dr. 

 O. Schmidt's works on the genera of Sponges were published 

 simultaneously in 1862), speaking of Dr.O. Schmidt's work, ob- 

 serves : — " Bowerbank, in the most extraordinary fashion, has 

 completely ignored everything that has been written on the 



