Vol. Ill, No. l.J Notes on tJie Freshwater Fauna of 



IN.S.l 



IT 



Remarh 



I 



>ongUl 

 central 



India. It may l)e 

 Its most remarkable 



regards origin 



recognized by the structure of its gemmules. 



feature, however, is its prolific production of buds, which as 



- . J <■- ^^'® nothing more than branches that become 

 separated from the parent by the ingrowth of the dermal mem- 

 brane round their bases. I hope to discuss their structure on 

 another occasion. The flesh spicules are very numerous in the 

 dermal membrane, in which they lie pointing in all directions 

 parallel to the surface of the Sponge. They also occur scattered 

 irregularly m the sarcode. The skeleton is feebly coherent owin^ 

 to the small amount of spongin present. '^ 



Diagnosis. 



Sl'ONGILLA CRASSISSIMA, sp. nov. (Figs, 2, 3.) 



Sponge massive, spherical or spindle-shaped, primarily 

 encrusting, very hard, dark leaden-grey, smooth on the surface 



with spicules prptruding throuigh the delicate 



as a 



a slanting direction ; oseula grouped 



external membrane 



star-shaped areas, which are often approaqhed on the surface of 



the sponge by radiating channels covered only;, by the . derm al 



Fig. 2. Spongilla crassisaima. 



Spicules, X 260. 



membrane for a considerable 

 strai 



distance. Skeleton spicules smooth 

 . . , lindrical, as a rule rounded at the 



extremities but bearing a minute conical terminal projection (which 

 contains the end of the axial thread), occasionally pointed ab- 

 ruptly, from 11 to 18 times as long as broad ; immature skeleton 

 spicules always slender and amphioxous. Skeleton formed of very 

 firm spicule fasciae and extensive spongin webs. No flesh .spicules. 

 n 1. __-__.i-_ _i^ _ . cylindrical, irregularly, somewhat sparsely 



or curved, rounded or abruptly pointed 

 at tne enas, anout, i.i times as long as broad. Gemmul. > small, 

 spherical, covered with a thick layer of large air-cells and 

 bound together in en*ant groups of from four to eight; each 

 gemmule provided with a stout, bent foraminal tubule, which is 



microspined, straig 



