116 ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS MADE DURING [Jan. 4, 



Examined. In spirit and by mounting in balsam. 



External Characters. Sessile, forming a beehive- sli aped mass 

 about 18 millims. deep by about 50 millims. long and 36 broad, 

 growing on the surface of a large flexible worm-tube. Surface 

 curved both actually and relatively to its base, so that the thickness 

 of the Sponge at the edges is almost nil. Surface slightly irregular, 

 owing to depressions between the ends of the skeleton-fibres, covered 

 externally by a dirty-white dermis of the same colour as the fibres. 

 Surface of dermis smooth. 



Vetits 1 Pores apparently represented by oval openings, from 

 •633 to "IG millim. in diameter, occurring in groups. 



Fibre resembling that of Besmacidon fruticosum, Johnston, in 

 amount of soft material, except at base, where the spicules lying in 

 the centre occupy only about half the diameter of the fibre, and give 

 it a strongly Chalinoid appearance. Spicules lying parallel in the 

 fibre, projecting from it only at the dermis. Soft material of 

 fibre granular, yellowish, subopaque, not resembling ordinary horny 

 fibre. Number of spicules in diameter of fibre varies from about 

 1.5 millims. in larger to 3 or 4 in small lateral fibres. 



Parenchyma. Yellowish white, granular, adhering to fibres. 



Dermal Membrane. Yellowish white, granular, in some parts pos- 

 sessing muscular or other fibres, apparently arising from beneath it. 



Skeleton- sjpicule. Of one kind, acuate, slightly bent, tapering 

 gradually from a well-rounded head to a sharp point. Size "577 

 by -01267 millim. 



Flesh-spicule. None. 



Hab. Sandy Point, 7-10 fathoms ; on large worm-tube. 



Obs. The strongly ceratinous character of the base of the fibres, 

 the absence of fistulse, and the absence of dense spicular axes from 

 which the fibres should radiate, all tend at first sight to separate 

 this species from the genus Ciocalypta, and, in fact, exclude it from 

 that genus, if we limit it to forms included by Dr. Bowerbank's 

 diagnosis ; but the general structure of the fibre and the mode of 

 termination of its outer extremity, together with the general agree- 

 ment in the form of the spicules, ally it too closely to C. ijenicillus 

 and C. leei to allow of a distinct generic appellation at this time, 

 especially as the method of growth suggests that it may be merely 

 a young or sessile form of a species closely allied to C. leei. The 

 proportions of the skeleton-acuates are : — 



C. penieillus, Bowerbank. 

 C. leei, Bowerbank. 



C. calva, 



C. tuberculata^ , Carter, is closely allied to these, but has a 

 skeletou-spicule -023223 milhni. in diameter. 



The specimen is remarkable for containing in its dermis a number 

 of spicules belonging to Esperla vdagellanicd-. 



' Ami. & Mag. Nat. Hist. sev. 4, xviii. p. 235. 

 - Cf. Joum. Liun. Soc. (Zool.), sv. p. 149. 



