462 DR. J. S. BOWERBANK ON [JuUC 5, 



spinous, very long and slender, and often flexuous, intermingled 

 with single spicula of the same form and size irregularly dispersed. 

 Interstitial spicula varying from cruciform to rectangulated sexradiate, 

 radii cylindrical, incipiently spinous, numerous. Retentive spicula 

 minute sexradiate stellate, radii bi- or trifurcate, attenuated, immersed 

 in the sarcode, very numerous. 



Colour, in the dried state, very pale grey. 

 Hab. Cebu {Dr. A. B. Meyer). 

 Examined in the dried state. 



Type in the Dresden Museum. 



If one adopts the rule that I have followed in all my previous 

 descriptions of sponges, that the structure and mode of arrangement 

 of the materials composing the skeletons of the Spongiadse are the 

 legitimate source of their generic characters, this sponge is decidedly 

 a Hyaloneina, but without the so-called glass rope. This organ in 

 Hyalonema is not really a portion of the essential skeleton, but is 

 rather an appendage thereto, and is apparently of the nature of a 

 cloacal organ. Entertaining these views, I have, in accordance with 

 them, referred the sponge in course of description to the genus 

 Hyalonema ; and from its discrepant structure I have given to it the 

 specific name of H. anomalum. The interstitial spicula of both 

 species also agree in being cruciform, with spinous cylindrical radii ; 

 and in each their forms are more or less variable in the number of 

 the radii, and in both they are numerously dispersed amid the inter- 

 stitial structures. 



This sponge is 3^ inches in height and 2 inches in width at its 

 distal extremity. In its present state it is somewhat compressed. 

 It has no part of its basal attachment remaining ; and it was in this 

 condition apparently when taken from the sea ; and from the verj'^ 

 small remains of sarcode amid the skeleton-structures it was most 

 probably at that time a dead specimen. What remains of the sarcode 

 of the interstitial membranes is nearly translucent, and occurs in 

 detached masses, each of which is crowded with the minute sexradiate 

 stellate retentive spicula. 



The dermal system is furnished with numerous large expando- 

 quaternate connecting spicula, the radial shaft being attenuated. 

 Their mode of arrangement is similar in design to those of Alcyon- 

 cellum speciosum and Rossella pkilippensis ; but their disposition 

 does not appear to be so regular as in either of those species. 



The dermal membrane has been nearly all destroyed. A few 

 small portions, in a tolerably good state of preservation, were found 

 on parts of the margin of the cup ; and these were spiculous. I 

 found also a small piece of the external dermal membrane in situ in 

 a tolerably good state of preservation ; and on this there were a few 

 large simple porous orifices irregularly dispersed. This portion of 

 the membrane appeared to be rather abundantly supplied with very 

 minute attenuato-acuate defensive spicula ; and intermixed with them 

 a few sexradiate stellate retentive ones were dispersed. The mem- 

 brane is very thin and delicate in its structure, and it was coated 



