178 BRITISH SPONGES: 



XX. Fig. 4), the surface is less distinctly muricated and more 

 villous, while the oral spicula are comparatively short. To this 

 variety the Sp. panicea of Esper belongs. Another variety is 

 more elongated or cylindrical in shape, of an earthy colour, soft 

 texture, strongly muricated and scarcely villous, while there are 

 no prolonged spicula around the orifice (Plate XXI. Fig. 6, 7.) 

 In this condition I have found it on the under surface of rocks 

 near low-water mark, and to the peculiarity of its site, the mo- 

 dification of its characters is attributable. It appears to be iden- 

 tical with the Spongia fistulosa of Delle Chiaie, Anim. s. 

 vert. Nap. iii. p. 113, tav. 37, fig. 14, 15. 



When the sponge is allowed to decompose in water so far that 

 the external spicula can be easily rubbed away, it will be seen 

 that the granulations on the surface are arranged in regular se- 

 ries after the fashion of the scales on a fir-cone. The granules 

 are equal and papillous, looking all towards the orifice. The 

 simple spicula are very imequal in size, more or less curved, li- 

 near but acute at both ends, which are alike : these, however, 

 are generally broken away so that the spicula appear to be 

 truncate. The triradiate spicula are not less variable in size, 

 and frequently one of the prongs is considerably longer than the 

 other two. 



4. G. BOTRYOiDES, clustered, very irregularly branch- 

 ed, the branches ovate or cylindrical, tubular, with a ter- 

 minal plain orifice; spicula triradiate. 



Plate XXI. Fig. 1—5. 



Spongia botyroides, Ellis and Soland. Zooph. 190, pi. 58, fig- 1 

 — 4, copied in Esper Spong. tab. 61, fig. 1 — 4. Turt. Gmel. iv. 

 660. Turt. Brit. Faun. 209. Stew. Elem. ii. 434. Bosc, Vers^ 

 iii. 173. Montagu in Wem. Mem. ii. 89. Lamour. Cor, Flex. 

 81. Corall. 184. Lam. Anim. s. Vert. ii. 382. 2de edit. ii. 

 573. Tempkton in Mag. Nat. Hist. ix. 471. 



