HALICHONDRIA. 109 



fasciculi, which are disposed in a longitudinal direction fi'om the 

 base to the apex of the sponge. And the spicula which form 

 the loose porous sui*face, have one end inserted into the dense 

 central fasciculi of the woody veins, while their opposite end 

 projects outwards at right angles to these fasciculi. The waved 

 direction of the remarkably long siliceous filaments of this 

 sponge is a necessary result of the kind of basket-work they 

 are employed to construct." Grant. 



12. H. smvhA'NS, polT/morphous, of a firm inelastic im- 

 perfectly cellular texture, nodulous, the surface even and mi- 

 nutely porous; oscula scattered, large and circular; spicula 

 short, curved, sharp at hath ends. 



Plate VIII. 



Var. *. erect, irregularly branched. Fig 1, 2. 

 /3. creeping, ramose or nodulous. Fig. 3. Halispongi;i rep- 

 tans, Scouler MS. 



y. papillary. Fig. 4. 



<r. massive. Fig. 5. 



Hah. Coast of Cunnamara, Wm. M'-CoUa. Dublin bay, A. 

 H. Hassall. 



This appears to be a good species but subject to more than 

 ordinary variety in the forms it assumes. One is erect and 

 shrub-like ; another constitutes a creeping sponge about the 

 thickness of the little finger, sparingly branched or merely no- 

 dulous, with a large osculum in general on every knob ; a third 

 variety has a very exact resemblance to the teat of a quadruped ; 

 while in another state the sponge is amorphous, fonning an ir- 

 regularly knobbed mass or crust an inch or so in thickness, 

 every elevation perforated as usual with its open circular orifice. 

 In all these states, however, the sponge is pretty uniform in co- 

 lour and in texture. It is earthy yellowish-brown, firm and 



