SPONGES. 



By Thomas Whitblegge. 

 Zoologist, Australian Museum, 



MONAXONIDA, Ridley and Dendy. 

 Part I. 



(Plates xliii.-xliv.) 



The collection obtained during the brief cruise of H.M.C.S. 

 ■" Thetis " proved to be exceptionally rich in sponges; over one 

 iiundred and fifty species were procured, and approximately fully 

 one half are either rare or new species. 



The present paper deals with a little less than half of the 

 JIotiaxo7iida, and includes nineteen new species, a number of 

 others of great interest— hitherto only obtained by H.M.S. 

 " Challenger " — and many other forms originally described by 

 Dr. R. von Lendenfeld. The latter have been treated at some 

 length, and have formed the basis of comparison between the 

 types in the Australian Museum collection and the fragments 

 received from Prof. A. Dendy, which were selected from the 

 Lendenfeldian collection now in the British Museum. The 

 material obtained enabled the writer to amend some of the 

 descriptions and also the nomenclature of many of the exhibited 

 specimens, as well as of those published in the " Catalogue of 

 Sponges in the Australian Museum." 



The new species herein described are as follows : — 

 Gellius reptans. 

 Rhaphisia ramosa. 

 Chondropsis syringianus. 

 Esperella ancorina. 

 ,, cylindrica. 

 ,, textilis. 

 Esperiopsis canaliculata. 



„ ferruginea. 

 Cladorhiza waitei. 

 Phelloderma polypoides. 

 Desmacidon porljera. 

 ,, hispidosa. 



„ stelligera. 



,, conulissima. 



„ 1 arenosa. 



Dendoryx piimic.a. 



,, fusca. 

 lotrochota arhuscula, 

 Yvesia commensalis. 



