Sponges Jrom South Australia. 285 



Surface smooth. Vents large, circular, projected pustuliformly, 

 scattered over the surface generally, or, where the branch is 

 expanded, chiefly on one side. 



Ohs. Here I should be inclined to place Esper's Spongia 

 oculata (tab. i.) and Ellis's Spongia palmata (tab. Iviii. 

 fig. 6), if, as before stated, they were not possessed of the 

 peculiar anchorate of Ghalina palmata^ Johnston. 



Chalina polychotoma^ var. rohusta. 



In which the stems are few, thick, and large, with smallish 

 vents on one side chiefly. Wet specimen. Colour, when 

 fresh, "orange-buff"." 11 in. long. 



Depth 20 fath. 



Chalina polychotoma^ var. angulata. 



Stem nodosely angulated, zigzag instead of being uni- 

 formly cylindrical ; presenting a knotted appearance, in which 

 the nodose portion may be slightly prolonged branch-like on 

 each side, so as to give the stem an alternately jointed zigzag- 

 aspect. Colour dark black-brown on the surface, light brown 

 interiorly, or light brown throughout. Surface soft, velvety 

 from the fineness and compactness of the dermal tissue. Vents 

 of two sizes, large and small, scattered over the nodose por- 

 tions irregularly. Fibre and structure finer and more compact 

 than in C. polychotoma^ accompanied by more remains of the 

 sarcode. Size of largest specimen, which is wet, 15 in. long. 

 Colour, when fresh, not given. 



Depth 19 fath. 



Chalina poly chotoma J var. moniliformis. 



Stems successively inflated more or less regularly. Colour 

 light brown. Surface velvety. Vents scattered over the 

 bullate inflations. Texture, i. e. the fibre and structure, as 

 in the foregoing variety, viz. '"'• angulata^'' 



Ohs. This comes in as a sequence of very common occur- 

 rence, but not represented in Mr. Wilson's collection, although 

 there are several large specimens in the British Museum 

 which come from the south coast of Australia. 



I have briefly enumerated these varieties in form, not only 

 because they are chiefly present in Mr. Wilson's collection, but 

 still more because they are of general occurrence : that is, the 

 stalks, originally smooth and cylindrical in the typical form, viz. 

 Chalina polychotoma, may become partially flattened; then 

 expanded and more or less united laterally either at the com- 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 5. Vol. xvi. 20 



