">36 DR. J.S. BOWERBANK ON [June 20, 



tain to whom I am indebted for the specimens. It is probable that I 

 received them among other specimens of siliceo-fibrous sponges from my 

 late friend, Mr. Henry Deane ; and if so, its locality may be the same 

 as that of D. virgultosa ; and I have a strong suspicion that the remains 

 of the sponge in course of description should be referred to that species. 

 The skeleton-structure is identical with that from the solid stem of 

 D. virgultosa, which may very probably have been the stem of a 

 perfect specimen of D. favoides, presuming that sponge to have been 

 cup-shaped and elevated on a pedestal. I have three fragments of 

 D. favoides, apparently from the same individual, neither of which 

 exceeds three lines in diameter; and they exhibit very faint traces of 

 curvature ; so that if they have been portions of a cup-shaped sponge, 

 it must have been of considerable size — and are probably portions of 

 its distal margin, as the pieces all agree in their general character, 

 and no indications of approximation to the base of the cup is apparent 

 in either of them. 



In the specimen of D. virgultosa the fibres of the rete of the stalk- 

 like specimen are rather stouter than those in D. favoides ; but in 

 other respects there is a remarkably close similarity. If the former 

 should hereafter prove to have been the stalk or pedestal of a cup of 

 the latter species, this slight difference might naturally be expected 

 to occur. 



Another strong indication of the close alliance of the two species 

 exists in the peculiarities of their sarcode, which in both is extremely 

 dark and opaque. In D. favoides it is very abundant ; but a very 

 small portion remains attached to the small fragment of D. virgultosa 

 in my possession. 



Under all the circumstances of the case I have thought it advisable 

 to designate them as separate species, until further information enables 

 us to decide the question. 



Farrea inermis, Bowerhank. (Plate LVI. figs. 3, 4.) 



Sponge cup-shaped ? Dermal surfaces furnished with a quadri- 

 lateral, smooth, or rarely incipiently spinous siliceo- fibrous network, 

 rarely armed at its angles externally with short, stout, imbricated, 

 conical, spicular defences. Areas square or slightly oblong, regular ; 

 sides of the areas very rarely armed with long and slender acutelv 

 conical spines. Fibres of the dermal rete cylindrical, nearly equable 

 in diameter, canaliculated irregularly. Dermal membrane thin and 

 pellucid, aspiculous. Internal skeleton — rete indistinct and very 

 irregular ; fibres slender, occasionally slightly furnished with minute 

 conical spines ; gemmules spherical, smooth, membranous, aspiculous, 

 dense and opaque. 



Colour, in the dried state, dark amber. 

 Hub. West Indies? (Captain Hunter}. 

 Examined in the dried state. 



I received the only specimen of this sponge that 1 have seen, from 

 my late friend Mr. Henry Deane, among several other species of 

 siliceo-fibrous sponges, without any special account of its locality ; 



