100 BRITISH SPONGES : 



The most pei*fect specimen of this species which I have seen 

 was sent tome from Dublin Bay by Mr Hassall. It is an irregu- 

 larly branched sponge ; the branches, rising from a shapeless 

 spreading base, are erect or variously spread and curved, round 

 and fistular, when entire with rounded and more solid extremities, 

 but usually broken short, for they are very brittle at least in their 

 dried condition. Texture fibro-reticular, resembling that of H. 

 oculata. Oscula large, circular, either terminating the branch or 

 placed along its side in an uneven line. In the former case they 

 frequently appear to be axillary, for the growth of the branch 

 having been arrested, other branchlets shoot out from the sides 

 just under the osculum. Spicula fusiform, curved, rather short, 

 and acutely pointed at both ends. 



Since, however, specimens are rarely so perfect as the one 

 which has served for our figure and description, Montagu's de- 

 scription of its more usual appearance is added. " The external 

 structure of this sponge," he says, " is so fine as not to be dis- 

 cerned by the naked eye ; smooth, and destitute of any detach- 

 ed fibres ; when examined by a lens, it is obsen'ed to be finely, 

 though irregularly reticulated with smooth fibres : the tubes are 

 hollow throughout, nearly erect, and most commonly originate 

 from a conunon base, but frequently so close together, as to be- 

 come more or less imited ; sometimes smaller tubes issue from 

 the sides of the larger : at the summit the tubes are as thin as 

 paper." — " It rarely exceeds three inches in height, and four or 

 five inches wide ; one specimen contains ten principal tubes of 

 difi^rent lengths ; the colour when fresh is yellow, but, by dry- 

 ing, it becomes of a pale brown or dirty white." 



H. Montaguii is a littoral species growing near low-water 

 mark amidCorallina officinalis. It is often of the usual yellowish- 

 brown colour of sponges, but is sometimes of a reddish-pink hue, 

 resembling in this respect the H. oculata., of which I was at one 

 time inclined to supect this might be merely a variety, — the re- 



