348 Mr. H. J. Garter on 



" Echinated with proper spicules projecting from the interior 

 of the fibre. Structure increasing in density inwards, or 

 towards the first-formed parts, i. e. the axis." And applying 

 the same remarks to this group as to the Pluriformia in the 

 first family, I would observe, with reference to the sponges 

 mentioned in the " key " to my Classification {op. et I. cit. 

 p. 196), that the caulescent branched species termed by 

 Schmidt ^^ Axinella verrucosa''^ (Spongien Adriat. Meeres, 

 Taf. vi. fig. 3), but of course without the parasitic polyp, 

 might form the type of a group named " Axinellina," in 

 which all the species of the genus " Axinella " that Schmidt 

 has described {op. cit.) might be inserted, together with others 

 from Mr. Wilson's collection, which will be mentioned here- 

 after, in most of which the branched caulescent characters 

 being more marked will afi'ord a still better typical illustration. 

 Here also might be inserted Dictyocylindrus rugosus, Bk., and 

 not " hispidus,'" as stated in the " key " to my Classifica- 

 tion (I. c), since the latter has a spinous club-shaped, echina- 

 ting spicule and the former has 7iot (see Bowerbank, Mon. 

 Brit. Spong. vol. iii. pis. xvii. and xx. figs. 1,1, respectively) ; 

 thus Schmidt has stated of D. rugosus that it has " das 

 Ansehen von Axinella cannahina " {op. cit. II. Suppl. p. 15). 

 The only difference between most of the arborescent Dic- 

 tyocyliudrina and the Axinellina is the presence of the 

 echinating spicule in the former and its absence in the latter. 

 Again, Acanthella, Sdt., might also come in here under a 

 group named " Acanthellina," of which the finest specimen 

 that I have seen is among Mr. Wilson's dried sponges from 

 the south coast of Australia, presented to the British Museum 

 through myself in 1884, now bearing the register no. " 84. 

 10. 10. 2," and described at length in the ' Annals ' of 1885 

 (vol. XV. p. 114) ; while Halichondria ventilahrum, Johnst., 

 = Phahellia ventilabrum, Bk., of which I have described a 

 branched form in the ' Annals ' of 1883 (vol. xii. pp. 316 

 and 318) under the name of P. ramosa, might be relegated 

 to a group called " Phakellina." 



To these also might be added two other groups of more or less 

 caulescent, branched, stipitare forms, with hirsute or ragged 

 surfaces, under the names of " Phycopsina " and " Ptilo- 

 caullna," for the typical species respectively of Phycopsis 

 fruticulosa and Ptilocaulis gracilis, described for this purpose 

 in the ' Annals ' of 1883 (vol. xii. pp. 319 and 321) ; if the 

 former has not been based upon washed-out beach specimens, 

 which I begin now to doubt, for one can never be certain of 

 the original form of such contributions : also massive forms, 

 under the generic name of " Leucophloeus '''' {ib. p. 323), of 



