﻿A 
  MONOGRAPH 
  OF 
  THE 
  VICTORIAN 
  SPONGES. 
  51 
  

  

  (2.) 
  Oxeotcs. 
  — 
  These 
  are 
  stont, 
  club-shaped, 
  often 
  h-regnlarly 
  and 
  strongly 
  

   curved, 
  very 
  broad 
  near 
  one 
  end 
  and 
  tapering 
  gradually 
  to 
  a 
  fine 
  point 
  

   at 
  the 
  other 
  ; 
  abruptly 
  but 
  sharply 
  pointed 
  at 
  the 
  broad 
  end. 
  The 
  

   size 
  of 
  these 
  spicules 
  is 
  very 
  variable, 
  up 
  to 
  0*43 
  by 
  0*02 
  mm. 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  spicules 
  above-mentioned 
  I 
  have 
  met 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  quadriradiates, 
  

   which 
  do 
  not 
  seem, 
  however, 
  to 
  be 
  characteristic 
  but 
  only 
  occasional. 
  

  

  {d.) 
  Affinities. 
  — 
  There 
  are 
  probably 
  several 
  distinct 
  species 
  v/hich 
  closely 
  resemble 
  

   Lencosolenin 
  dubia 
  in 
  general 
  form 
  and 
  canal 
  system, 
  as, 
  for 
  example, 
  certain 
  forms 
  of 
  

   Haeckel's 
  Ascetta 
  corincea 
  and 
  A. 
  clathrus, 
  which 
  differ 
  from 
  it, 
  however, 
  in 
  spiculation. 
  

   In 
  one 
  character 
  Lciicosolcnia 
  dubia 
  strikingly 
  resembles 
  L. 
  cavafa, 
  to 
  be 
  described 
  

   later 
  on, 
  namely, 
  in 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  great 
  numbers 
  of 
  " 
  yellow 
  granules" 
  embedded 
  in 
  

   the 
  mesoderm. 
  The 
  structure 
  and 
  meaning 
  of 
  these 
  bodies 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  discussed. 
  

   They 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  constant 
  occurrence 
  in 
  the 
  species 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  found 
  and 
  

   remind 
  one 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  of 
  the 
  curious 
  dumb-bell-shaped 
  filaments, 
  also 
  of 
  unknown 
  

   significance, 
  present 
  in 
  the 
  HircinidcB 
  amongst 
  horny 
  sponges. 
  Indeed, 
  it 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  

   means 
  improbable 
  that 
  the 
  specimens 
  which 
  I 
  distinguish 
  as 
  Lciicosolcnia 
  dubia 
  may 
  

   be 
  young 
  forms 
  of 
  L. 
  cavata, 
  for 
  the 
  general 
  organisation 
  (including 
  spiculation) 
  

   resembles 
  closely 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  first-formed 
  part 
  of 
  a 
  colony 
  of 
  L. 
  cavata, 
  L. 
  dubia, 
  

   however, 
  attains 
  a 
  considerable 
  size 
  (the 
  largest 
  specimen 
  being 
  about 
  62 
  mm. 
  in 
  

   greatest 
  breadth 
  and 
  20 
  mm. 
  thick) 
  without 
  acquiring 
  the 
  very 
  peculiar 
  canal 
  system 
  

   of 
  L. 
  cavata. 
  

  

  {c.) 
  Locality.— 
  ^enY 
  Port 
  Phillip 
  Heads. 
  (Coll. 
  J. 
  B. 
  Wilson.) 
  

  

  5. 
  Lciicosolcnia 
  stipitata, 
  n. 
  sp. 
  

  

  (PI. 
  I., 
  Figs. 
  4, 
  5, 
  6 
  ; 
  PL 
  IV., 
  Fig. 
  2 
  ; 
  PI. 
  IX., 
  Fig. 
  5.) 
  

  

  (a.) 
  General 
  Appearance 
  and 
  Canal 
  System. 
  — 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  minute 
  sponge, 
  

   consisting 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  oval 
  body 
  perched 
  on 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  a 
  short, 
  slender 
  

   stem 
  attached 
  at 
  its 
  lower 
  extremity 
  to 
  some 
  foreign 
  body. 
  The 
  total 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  

   sponge 
  is 
  only 
  about 
  12 
  mm. 
  Figures 
  4 
  and 
  5, 
  Plate 
  I., 
  show 
  two 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  

   natural 
  size, 
  and 
  Figure 
  G, 
  Plate 
  I., 
  one 
  of 
  them 
  greatly 
  enlarged. 
  The 
  stem 
  is 
  solid 
  

   and 
  cylindrical. 
  The 
  body 
  has 
  the 
  reticulate 
  surface 
  characteristic 
  of 
  this 
  section 
  of 
  

   the 
  genus, 
  the 
  pseudopores 
  being 
  rather 
  large 
  in 
  proportion 
  to 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  S]iongo. 
  

   On 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  is 
  a 
  relatively 
  large 
  osculum. 
  Only 
  one 
  osculum 
  is 
  present 
  

   in 
  the 
  specimens 
  iigured, 
  but 
  I 
  should 
  imagine 
  that 
  tlicve 
  might 
  sometimes 
  bo 
  more 
  

   in 
  older 
  specimens. 
  Tlic 
  colour 
  in 
  spirit 
  is 
  white. 
  

  

  The 
  canal 
  system 
  conforms 
  to 
  type 
  B., 
  and 
  is 
  described 
  on 
  p. 
  2S 
  and 
  illiwtnitcMl 
  

   in 
  Figure; 
  2, 
  J 
  Mate 
  IV. 
  

  

  