130 ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS MADE DURING [Jan. 4, 



The species appears to stand near to tlie sponge figured by Schmidt 

 as V.johnstonii in 1870 {I. c. supra), and there set down as a variety 

 of the form which he described in 1862 (Spong. adr. Meer. p. 78, 

 pi. vii. fig. 14), but which is obviously specifically distinct from 

 that of 1862, on the ground of its almost totally different spicu- 

 lation ; for to the latter are attributed acerate and stellate forms as its 

 complement, while the 1870 species' possesses a spinulate and two 

 forms of spiro-spinular spicules (cf. Carter, Ann. and Mag. N. H. 

 [5] iii. p. 149, who suggests this solution of the discrepancy between 

 the two descriptions). It differs from this species cliiefly in the ab- 

 sence of a short stout spirospinular flesh-spicule, and in the much 

 greater fineness of the thin spiro-spinular form (the diameter being as 

 I to 3 and the length as 1 to 2 of those of that species). 



It seems to be also not far removed from Clione lohata, Hancock 

 (A.nn. and Mag. N. H. [2] iii. p. 343, pi. xii. figs. 4, 8, and 

 [3] xix. p. 239, pi. vii. fig. 6), but differs from it in the stoutness of 

 the spinulate spicule and the globose character of its head, and in 

 the greatly inferior diameter and the less frequent angulation of the 

 spiro-spinular spicule. That species is described as being dark in 

 colour when dry ; but as the colour when in spirit is not mentioned, it 

 is not safe to compare it with V. carteriRH to tliis point. SoUas's C. 

 suhulata- differs from this, apart from the colour (which is unfortu- 

 nately not mentioned by him), in the greater stoutness of the body and 

 greater distinctness of the head of the spinulate ; its length and the 

 length and characters of the spiro-spinular agree almost exactly with 

 those of our species. 



Relations of the Hormj ond Siliceous Sponffes of Magellan's Straits 

 a lid the neicjhhouriny Coasts to thoseof other Seas. — I have gone some- 

 what more into details, in comparing the sponges described in this 

 ])aper with allied forms, than is usual in papers of this kind. But I felt 

 this to be desirable for two reasons : — 1st, because the characters of the 

 Sponge-fauna of these localities have hitherto been hardly investigated 

 at all, and it is therefore important to ascertain its relations to those 

 of other localities ; 2nd, because in certain groups, cliiefly in the 

 Benierida, the possible range of variation of individual species seems 

 to have been not clearly ascertained, owing mainly to the imper- 

 fection of our present knowledge of the relative classificatory values 

 of the different characters; and as the nearest allies of the species here 

 described were mostly from the Northern and Equatorial Atlantic, it 

 was to be expected that in the ))assage to the southern part of the 

 Atlantic Ocean we should find indications of the nature and extent 

 of the changes which species have undergone (if that is the right way 

 of expressing the relation) in making the same or the converse passage. 

 In the present state of our knowledge, the genera of the above 

 groups of sponges as a rule embrace many species and are widely dis- 

 tributed. This is due probably to the want of a more minute sub- 

 division of the genera, but also certainly to some extent to the great 

 age of the group in time, and to its members being but little limited 



^ This should be renamed, and would be well called Vioa schmidtii. 

 ■' Aim. N. H. [5] i. p. 65, pi. ii. figs. 26-28. 



