Freslnvater Sponges of Newfoundland. 497 



The Freshwater Sponges of Newfoundland. 



By A. H. MacKay, B.A., B-Sg 



Principal, Pietou Academy, Nova Scotia, Canada. 



In August of 1885, I spent a few weeks in Newfoundland, 

 investigating its natural history and paying particular atten- 

 tion to the fauna and flora of its freshwater lakes. My work 

 was confined nearly entirely to the Avalon peninsula 

 and adjacent portions of the island. I dipped into the 

 ponds and lakes more easily accessible from the line of 

 railway extending from St. John's towards the interior, 

 such, for instance, as Virginia, Quidi Yidi, lakes near Har- 

 bor Grace Junction, Lady, Bannerman, Rocky, Carbonear 

 and other lakes and lakelets upon the rocky highlands and 

 near the sea level as far west as Heart's Content, on Trinity 

 Bay. This region is generally considered as of Huronian 

 age, and sponge collections were often limited to those 

 growing in the shallow margins of the lakes on the under 

 sides of splinters of hard, slaty quartzites, or more massive 

 more or less water-worn rock fragments. The dredge, 

 although successful in the collection of other material in 

 some of the lakes,' brought no satisfactory specimens of 

 sponges from any considerable depth. 



Of the sponges, Spongilla fragilis, Eeidy, was the most 

 abundant and universal. Then came S. lacustris var. Daw- 

 soni and Meyenia fluviatilis, Carter. Next, the newly dis- 

 covered Nova Scotian sponges, Spongilla Mackayi, Carter, 

 and Heteromeyenia Pictovensis, Potts. And lastly, Tubella 

 Pennsylvania, Potts, and the following species : 



Encrusting stones in lakelets near Heart's Content, on 

 August 14th, this sponge was found. On a superficial 

 examination, from the presence of small birotules in the 

 flesh, nearly identical with those of Meyenia Everetti, Potts, 

 it was thought to be the latter species. But the character 

 of the statoblast or reproductive gennule, showed it to be 

 quite distinct from any other sponge described. The speci- 

 mens were referred simultaneously to H. J. Carter, Esq., 

 F.R.S., of England, and E. Potts, Esq., of Philadelphia, who 



