and Nomenclature of Sjjonges. 167 



cimen is figured by me in the Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, t. 27. f. 2. 

 Dr. Bowerbank calls this specimen Dactylocalyx Ingalliiy 

 never observing that it is identical in every respect with the 

 D. pumicea of Stutchbmy and the Iphiteon panicea of Valen- 

 ciennes ; so that Dr. Bowerbank formed two species out of the 

 same, regarding the second specimen as a unique sponge ; 

 and I am by no means certain that he does not think Iphiteon 

 panicea a third one, as he only records it as belonging to the 

 genus Dactylocalyx of Stutchbmy, without mentioning its 

 being the same species. 



It is to be observed that though I have Dr. Bowerbank's 

 own authority for regarding MacAndrewia azorica as iden- 

 tical with Dactylocalyx Prattii, at p. 79 he observes, " The 

 external characters of these fibres vary in each species. In 

 a new siKceous Sponge in the British Museum, designated by 

 Dr. Gray MacAndrewia azorica^ the fibres are quite smooth, 

 as represented by fig. 274, pi. 15 ; but in the greater number 

 of species they are more or less tuberculated, as in fig, 275, 

 pi. 15, which represents a group of fibres from the type speci- 

 men of Dactylocalyx pumicea, Stutchbmy, a portion of wliicli 

 is in the possession of Dr. Gray ; in other species in my pos- 

 session the tuberculation is very strongly produced, as repre- 

 sented in a few fibres of Dactylocalyx Prattii^ Bowerbank's 

 MS., fig. 276, pi. 15 " (Brit. Sponges, i. pp. 78, 80). These 

 observations are repeated at p. 204, 



I quote these observations as showing that spicules are 

 liable to variation within certain limits, most likely peculiar 

 to each species, and that the idea of separating certain 

 sponges because a slight difference in the surface of the spi- 

 cules may be shown in two microscope-slides is exceed- 

 ingly fallacious. In fact I am convinced, from the examina- 

 tion of many specimens, that spicules vary quite as much as 

 the external form of the sponge, whatever those microscopists 

 who confine themselves to the examination of slides may say. 



MacAndrewia azorica was first described and figured by 

 me from a specimen collected by Mr. MacAndrew at St. Mi- 

 chael (Azores), in the Proc. Zool. Soc. for 1859, p. 438, pi. 15. 

 Dr. Bowerbank quotes my name, adding a needless s to it, in 

 ' British Sponges,' i. p. 204, f. 274 ; at p. 237, f. 53, he calls 

 it Dactylocalyx Bowerhanlcii^ Johnson, from a specimen col- 

 lected at Madeira by Mr. Johnson. Both these specimens are 

 in the British Museum, and there can be no doubt of their 

 identity. But at p. 18 of the same volume Dr. Bowerbank 

 mentions " a new species of siliceo-fibrous sponge from India, 

 Dactylocalyx Prattii^ Bowerbank, MS," The name is repeated 

 at pp. 19 & 20, and occurs again at pp. 204, 274, 278, Avhere 



