Sponges from South Australia. 361 



or less interuniting and amalgamated ; simple or bifid at the 

 ends, which are conical. Consistence soft, resilient. Colour 

 when fresh " dull purple," now yellowish white, opaque. 

 Surface even, largely granulated ; granules smooth, radiating 

 star-like, the rays being part of the dermis, interuniting with 

 each other reticulately between the granules. Vents not seen. 

 Spicule of one form only, viz. acerate, fusiform, smooth, finely 

 pointed, 15 by l-6000th. Structure soft on the surface, 

 becoming compact and hard towards the axis. Size of speci- 

 men 3^ in. high by 4x 1^ in. horizontally. 

 Depth 20 fath. 



23. Axinella villosa (dry specimen). 



Stipitate bunch of caulescent dichotomous branches, rising 

 from a short, thick, round stem, spread out at the base for 

 attachment; branches cylindrical, dividing near the stem, 

 diminishing in size towards the extremities, which are bifid 

 and pointed. Consistence soft on the surface, hard in the 

 axis. Colour when fresh not stated, now brown-grey. Sur- 

 face now, in its dried state, roughly reticulated and shaggy, 

 from the subsidence of the sarcode between the subjacent 

 spiculiferous tissue, which thus appears clotted together like 

 that of Dictyocylindrus rugosa^ Bk. Spicules of one form 

 only, viz. acerate, curved, smooth, about 78 by 24-6000ths. 

 Structure loose on the surface, becoming condensed and hard 

 towards the axis. Specimen 7 in. high by 3 X 3 in. horizon- 

 tally ; branches about f in. in diameter. 



Depth not stated. 



The above species being branched and caulescent are very 

 much like those of the group Dictyocylindrina, differing only, 

 as before stated, in the absence of the echinating spicule. 



24. Axinella jlahellata. 



Stipitate, compressed expanded, thickish, lobate ; margin 

 irregular ; stem short, angular and thick. Consistence firm, 

 resilient. Colour when fresh " brown-grey," now dark 

 sponge-colour. Surface even, minutely granulated. Vents 

 not seen. Spicules of three forms, viz. : — 1, skeletal, acuate, 

 70 by 2-6000ths, chiefly confined to and projecting through 

 the fibre ; 2, " trichites," loose and in sheaf-like bundles, about 

 12-6000thslong; 3, flesh-spicule, bihamate, C- and S-shaped, 

 simple and contort, 4-6000ths long, both the latter abundant 

 and confined to the sarcode. Structure compact, becoming 

 more condensed and hard towards the axis. Size of specimen 

 3-g- in. high by 4^x IJ- in. horizontally. 



Depth 18 fath. 



