352 Mr. H. J. Carter's Contributions to our 



Bowerbank general collection at the British Museum. The 

 flesh -spicules of the surface in the now dry and corrugated 

 part are mixed with grains of sand, which of course thickens 

 the incrustation, which is very thin in the smooth part 

 or sides, where there is little or no sand. This increased 

 thickness, which in some instances amounts fully to 1-1 6th 

 inch, must not be set down to an accumulation of the dermal 

 flesh-spicules, but rather to the " habit " of the sponge, 

 which, from its frequent occurrence, appears to be very com- 

 mon with SteUetta on the south coast of Australia. In the 

 specimen above described there is a great variety in the form 

 of the bacillar flesh-spicules, which, always very large com- 

 paratively, may sometimes be so scantily spined as to be 

 almost smooth; at others the spines themselves may be un- 

 usually large, and in some cases the spicule is absolutely 

 cylindrical from end to end, where consequently it is obtuse ; 

 while the primary cell, which is normally uniaxial, from its ex- 

 tension in opposite directions, becomes often more or less poly- 

 axial, so as to cause the spicule to present a radiated or stel- 

 late form (fig. 3, i } i, i). Small acerates are not uncommonly 

 mixed with the dermal spicules both in Geodia and SteUetta, 

 where they seem to be connected with the opening and closing 

 of the pore, being situated in an erect circular or flat radiated 

 position around the latter, as the case may be ('Annals/ 1880, 

 vol. vi. pi. vi. fig. 37). I have designated this form as 

 u var. vobusta" because I have already specifically named one 

 from the coast of Burmah u bacillifera" but wherein the 

 bacillar spicule is very small. (MS. Report of a large col- 

 lection of Sponges from the north-western side of King's 

 Island or Padaw, one ot the Mergui archipelago, collected by 

 Dr. J. Anderson, F.R.iS., Superintendent, Indian Museum, 

 Calcutta, whence they have been forwarded for my exa- 

 mination.) 



SteUetta reticulata, Crtr. (PI. XIV. fig. 4, ar-f.) 



Irregularly globular, lobate, enclosing two mussel-shells. 

 Surface uniformly reticulated. Vents on the prominent parts 

 of the lobes. Spicules of two kinds, viz. skeleton- and flesh- 

 spicules : — 1, body-spicule acerate, sharp-pointed, fusiform, 

 smooth 



si on - 



h, curved, 65 by lf-1800ths inch in its greatest dimen- 

 (%. 4, a) ; 2, zone-spieule less in length, shaft straight, 

 40 by 2-1800ths, arms simple, horizontal, 5-18()0ths inch 

 long (fig. 4, b). Neither anchors nor forks seen. Flesh- 

 spicules of two forms, viz. : — 1, globosteJlate, with the rays, 

 which are thick, conical and prominent, spined over the ex- 

 tremities, which may be truncated or round, 8-6000ths inch in 



