R. W. H. ROW—REPORT ON THE SPONGES: NON-CALCAREA, Bl ML 
Canal-system and Chambers. 
There are no definite subdermal cavities in this species, but the pores open 
into narrow canals, which run tangentially in the cortex and open into large 
inhalant canals leading down into the interior of the sponge. These inhalant 
canals vary in size from 0:05 mm. to 0-4 mm. in diameter. 
The chambers are small, diplodal, and they measure 0:04 mm. in diameter 
as a maximum. They occur in enormous numbers, forming dense masses 
separated by tracts of mesogloea. 
The exhalant canals could not be distinguished from the inhalant. 
Flistology. 
The preservation of the specimen is very poor, so that but little could be 
made out of the histology. 
The mesogloea consists of tracts here and there, chiefly in the region of the 
large canals, either exhalant or inhalant. These tracts are frequently very 
fibrous, with the fibres very irregularly arranged, but mostly longitudinally, 
along the wall of the canal. Sometimes the fibres are crowded together in a 
mass, sometimes the fibres are very scanty, and they may merely consist of 
a few strung across a plain mesogloea. 
The cellular elements in the mesogloea are scanty, and the cells are nearly 
all spherical, a few stellate cells occurring here and there. 
JE igment. 
The sponge contains enormous numbers of pigment-cells, containing a black 
pigment, throughout the whole of the sponge. The greatest numbers of them 
occur in the ectoderm, where they are densely filled with the colouring- 
matter ; but they also occur in the deepest parts of the sponge, though here 
not in such large numbers and not so deeply pigmented. 
Locality. Suakin Harbour. 
Distribution. Red Sea. 
HIRCINIA VARIABILIS, var. TYPICA, Schmidt. 
Synonymy :— 
1879. Hireinia variubilis, Schulze (26 a). 
1862. HMircinia typica, Schmidt (26). 
1889. Hireinia variabilis, var. typica, Lendenfeld (20). 
One small specimen of this variety occurs in the collection, measuring 
45 mm. by 28 mm., and 27 mm. in height. 
The colour is dark grey. 
The surface is conulose, the conuli being on the average 2 mm. high and 
irregularly scattered over the sponge surface. 
