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XI. On Steere's Sponge, a new Genus of the Hexactinellicl Group of the Spongida. 

 By James Murie, M.D., F.L.S., F. G.S., Sfc. 



(Plates XXXVI. & XXXVII.) 



Bead January 20, 1876. 



JlHE Order of Sponges now designated Hexactinellida has only of late years been 

 prominently brought forward to the notice of naturalists. As early as 1833 by Quoy and 

 Gaimard, and again more definitely in 1841 by Stutchbury, at least two or three forms 

 of the group had been registered in zoological literature ; and later on a few new members 

 were occasionally added. From about 1860, or even a few years later, up to the present 

 time a number of new and most curious genera and species have been minutely described. 

 The issue of the monographs of Bowerbank, Oscar Schmidt, and Hackel, among others, 

 have greatly helped to advance and give prominence to the history of the Spongida ; but 

 the study more especially of the Siliceous Sponges, however, received an unexpected 

 impetus when the first results of the deep-sea explorations became known. Besides 

 Dr. Gray, ever active in many fields, the labours of Carter, "Wyville Thomson, Saville 

 Kent, and Perceval "Wright, among our own countrymen, have borne good fruit so far as 

 the group in question is concerned. Not only has the deep-sea dredging yielded a partial 

 resolution of some of the difficulties of structural organization of certain of the more 

 singular kinds, but another item of considerable importance has become evident, as fresh 

 faunal ground has accrued : I allude to distribution. The geographical dispersion, then, 

 of the Siliceous or, as some prefer to call them, Vitreous Sponges, where unmistakable 

 closely allied kinds are widely severed, suggests many possibilities, geological and other- 

 wise, though no explanation is capable of easy proof from our as yet limited data. Every 

 new genus or species entered into the catalogue thus has a cumulative significance, 

 bearing ratio, moreover, to its peculiarities of build, where these either exhibit novelty, 

 intermediate characteristics, or set at rest moot points. On grounds such as these the 

 novel specimen I herewith call attention to I believe possesses unusual interest. 



History oe Specimen. — Professor Joseph B. Steere, M.A., LL.B., of the University of 

 Michigan, U.S., a few years ago resolved on enriching the Museum collections of his 

 alma mater. Young, enthusiastic, and fond of adventure, after an exploration and 

 somewhat lengthened stay in the regions of the Amazon, sending home valuable material, 

 he traversed the continent, crossing the Andes. Thence by the Pacific Ocean towards 

 China, he remained awhile in Formosa. Afterwards making his way to the Philippines,. 

 he resided for longer or shorter periods in several localities of the group. In devious, 

 voyages, visiting the more notable islands of the Malay archipelago, he gathered a vast 

 array of objects of Natural History. Time speeding, he betook himself homewards, and 

 en route made a hasty stay in London, during the beginning of the month of October 1875. 



Circumstances did not permit of his boxes and cases of material being unpacked here, 



SECOND SERIES. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. I. 2 G 



