1904.] ON THE BRITISH SPONGES OF THE GBNUS LEUCCSOLENIA. 349 



reach more than two-thirds up towards the nasals, while in 

 cuvieri they articulated broadly with the latter bones. The bvill^ 

 were more rounded, and the pair of prominences on the basis of 

 the skull over the basilar suture were much more developed than 

 in the single old skull of G. cuvieri available. From G. arabica, 

 to which there was a certain i-esemblance in the set and curvature 

 of the horns, G. 7nerrilli was distinguished by its conspicuously 

 greater size. 



The typical male skull of G. merrilli measured as follows : — 

 greatest length 194 mm.; basal length (c.) 170; greatest breadth 

 88 ; muzzle to orbit 99 ; length of upper-tooth row 60. 



Horns — S • Length over curves anteriorly 241 ; basal circum- 

 ference 108. 5 . Length 98; basal circumference 41. 



TyiJe. S, B.M. No. 4.12.18.1. Killed 11th December 1903. 

 Presented by Dr. Selah Meriill through Dr. P. L. Selater. 



Hah. Hizmeh, just north of Jerusalem. 



The following extract from a letter from Dr. Merrill, dated 

 31st October 1904, will give an idea of where this new GazeUe 

 was found: — 



" The male Gazelle was brought to me Dec. 11th, 1903, and the 

 female on February 7th, 1904. Both were shot by a hunter 

 whom I know, and who has served me at times during several 

 years past. His home is at Hizmeh, five or six miles north of 

 Jerusalem ; he is a plain simple man, and probably never goes as 

 far as ten miles from his village. Hizmeh is near Wady Farah, 

 two hours north-east of Jerusalem. All that region for many 

 miles north of Wady Farah, where the tableland of Judea breaks 

 down to the Jordan valley, is very wild and has never been very 

 carefully explored." 



Mr. Thomas had much pleasure in naming this new Gazelle, 

 which represented a type quite new to the Palestine Fauna, in 

 honour of its discoverer Dr. Selah Merrill. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. The Characters and Synonymy of the British Species of 

 Sponges of the Genus Leucosolenia. By E. A. Minchin, 

 University College, London. 



[Received November 15, 1904.] 

 (Text-figm^es 91-98.) 



I. Introductory. 



The following memoir is an attempt to ^ the nomenclature 

 and to define the characters of the British species of Ascons 

 belonging to the section for which, in my opinion, the name 

 Leucosolenia is the correct taxonomic designation. In order to 



