Sponges f)'om South Australia. 289 



forms from " the Cape," presenting a similar structure and 

 spiculation, viz, Chalina com-pressa^ which has already been 

 described in the 'Annals' of 1882 (vol. x. p. 112), and 

 might be relegated to the group " Palmata " for the present^ 

 as representing the " Mermaid's glove " at the Cape ; and a 

 third, which from its form might be relegated to the " Digi- 

 tata" and termed " Ghalina polychotoma^ var. ancJiorata^'' 

 as its skeletal acerate is also accompanied bj an equianchorate 

 flesh-spicule ; but in the two latter the navicular anchorate is 

 pointed at the ends instead of being round or obtuse ; althougli 

 in all three instances belonging to that kind which from its 

 boat- or shuttle-like shape I have termed navicular. 



These are the specimens from the " neighbourhood of the 

 Cape of Good Hope " to which I have alluded, at p. 280, as 

 possessing the same kind of naviculiform anchorate. 



Ovigerous Specimens. 



In the ovigerous specimens, of which there are a great 

 many in Mr. Wilson's collection, not only of the RhaphidO- 

 NEMA, but of all the other orders, the form and position of the 

 ova remain j but the same astringent effect of the spirit which 

 has kept them thus has contracted their contents into a cheesy 

 consistence which defies all attempt at further elucidation. 

 In short, to do anything with the soft parts of a sponge in the 

 microscopical or more minute way it is absolutely necessary to 

 examine them immediately after they have been taken from 

 their native habitats, that is while they are living. Much 

 may be done by putting them into spirit and water at once 

 and examining them a few days after they have been thus 

 preserved ; but the longer they remain after this the more 

 these parts become chemically altered by the methylated 

 spirit and rendered anfit for anything but a display of the 

 larger parts of which they are composed, from the change 

 especially in the contents of the ova and the sperm-cells, to 

 which I have above alluded ; and the development of calca- 

 reous crystallizations in the general tissue. 



Order V. ECHINONEMA. 



For the reasons above mentioned I shall also insert here a 

 tabular view of my arrangement of this order in 1875 {op. et 

 he. cit.), viz. : — 



