ZOOLOGY A.ND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 99 



Porifera. 



Vosmaer's Porifera.* — The volume on sponges, by Dr. G. C. J. 

 Vosmaer, in Bronn's 'Klassen und Ordnungen,' has just been completed 

 in sixteen parts. The author is to be congratulated on the result of his 

 labours. The defects, in regard to which he asks charitable criticism in 

 his almost too apologetic preface, seem rather due to the nature of the 

 subject and limit of space than to the author. The last five parts complete 

 the systematic portion, and discuss in a perhaps slightly too compressed 

 manner the ontogeny, physiology, distribution, and relationships of the 

 group. Herr Vosmaer may be assured of the gratitude of every non- 

 specialist who has attempted the identification of sponge forms. 



Spongilla glomerata.t — Herr F. C. Noll describes a new species of 

 fresh-water sponge from the island of Eiigen, which differs in some im- 

 portant points from forms hitherto described. The gemmules were extra- 

 ordinarily large, and are called gemmulae balls by the author ; they may 

 be spherical, egg-shaped, or irregular in form, and are really masses of 

 gemmules, six to fi.fteen being inclosed in a common investment. They 

 give rise to the idea of a further division having gone on after the forma- 

 tion of extraordinarily large rudiments. On the surface of the balls there 

 are a number of infundibular orifices, each of which is the pore of a gemmule, 

 and all of which are so closely attached to the inner surface of the wall that 

 when the ball is broken a gemmule remains attached to every piece of the 

 investment. 



The author describes the structure of the covering layer, and compares 

 its constituents with those of allied species. 



Herr F. Yejdovsky J points out that this new species is nothing more 

 than the widely distributed ;S'. fragilis of Leidy, the synonymy and literary 

 history of which are given in detail. 



Fresh-water Sponges of Galicia.§ — Herr A. Wierzejski has mono- 

 graphed the fresh-water sponges of Galicia, and considerably reduced the 

 number of species. Within the genus Spongilla he recognizes only five 

 suhgenera, with five species. The multitudinous synonyms are carefully 

 noted, and the following nomenclature proposed — (1) Euspongilla lacustris 

 Vejd. {SjpongiUa auct.), (2) Spongilla fragilis (Leidy), (3) Epliydatia 

 fluviatilis Vejd., (4) Meyenia Mulleri Wierz., (5) Trochospongilla erinaceus 

 Vejd. 



South Australian Sponges. |1 — Mr. H. J. Carter continues and con- 

 cludes his supplementary notes on the sponges collected in South Australia 

 by Mr. J. B. Wilson ; the four orders, Psammonemata, Ehaphidonemata, 

 Echinonemata, and Holorhaphidota, being here dealt with. It is stated 

 that the specimens have been deposited in the British Museum. 



Protozoa. 



Adoral Ciliated Organ of Infusoria.! — The adoral ciliated organ of 

 heterotrichous and hypotrichous Infusoria has been variously interpreted, 

 by Stein as large cilia in grooves, by Sterki, Maupas, and Entz as skin 

 plates. Prof. K. Mobius shows that the organ in question consists of 



* Bronn's 'Klassen u. Ordnungen des Thier-Keiclis, ii. Porifera,' 1887, Nos. 12-16, 

 pp. i.-xii., 369-496, pis. xxvi.-xxxiv. 



t Zool. Anzeig., ix. (1886) pp. 682-4. J Tom. cit., pp. 713-5. 



§ Ann. Acad. Sci. Cracovie, 1885. Of. Arch. Slav, de Biol., ii. (1886) pp. 37-40. 



II Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., xviii. (1886) pp. 369-79 ; 445-66 (1 pL). 



t Biol. Centralbl., vi. (1886) pp. 539-40 (Bar, 58 Versamml. Deutsch. Naturf. ii. 

 Aertze, Berlin, 1886). 



H 2 



