﻿60 
  A 
  MONOGRAPH 
  OF 
  THE 
  VICTORIAN 
  SPONGES. 
  

  

  than 
  in 
  the 
  former." 
  The 
  fragment 
  (named 
  by 
  Dr. 
  von 
  Lentlenfeld) 
  examined 
  by 
  me 
  

   shows 
  nothing 
  distinctive 
  in 
  the 
  spiculation, 
  and 
  I 
  should 
  certainly 
  say 
  that 
  the 
  

   spicules, 
  at 
  any 
  rate 
  many 
  of 
  them, 
  are 
  pointed. 
  In 
  his 
  description 
  of 
  Ascetta 
  

   procuinbcns, 
  von 
  Lendenfeld 
  says 
  — 
  " 
  The 
  sponge 
  consists 
  of 
  numerous 
  slightly 
  curved 
  

   cylindrical 
  tubes, 
  extending 
  in 
  one 
  plane 
  in 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  layers. 
  The 
  sponge 
  has 
  the 
  

   appearance 
  of 
  a 
  perforated 
  plate, 
  and 
  attains 
  a 
  diameter 
  of 
  25 
  and 
  a 
  thickness 
  of 
  

   2-5 
  mm." 
  One 
  of 
  his 
  figures 
  (PI. 
  LXI., 
  Fig. 
  la) 
  agrees 
  with 
  this 
  description, 
  but 
  

   three 
  others, 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species 
  (PL 
  LXL, 
  Figs, 
  16, 
  Ic, 
  1^/), 
  rejiresent 
  a 
  

   massive, 
  lobose 
  sponge 
  of 
  very 
  different 
  appearance. 
  The 
  fragment 
  also, 
  sent 
  to 
  

   me 
  from 
  the 
  British 
  Museum, 
  is 
  evidently 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  a 
  massive 
  sponge. 
  Hence 
  it 
  

   seems 
  not 
  impossible 
  that 
  von 
  Lendenfeld 
  has 
  confused 
  two 
  species, 
  the 
  description 
  of 
  

   the 
  external 
  form 
  and 
  spicules 
  being 
  taken 
  from 
  specimens 
  which 
  may 
  perhaps 
  differ 
  

   from 
  Lcucosolenia 
  protogenes. 
  The 
  canal 
  system 
  is 
  not 
  properly 
  described, 
  nor 
  is 
  the 
  

   fragment 
  in 
  my 
  possession 
  sufficiently 
  perfect 
  to 
  allow 
  me 
  to 
  completely 
  elucidate 
  it, 
  

   but 
  this 
  fragment 
  so 
  closely 
  resembles, 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  characteristics 
  which 
  it 
  exhibits, 
  

   the 
  Victorian 
  specimens 
  of 
  Leiicosolenia 
  protogenes, 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  little 
  hesitation 
  in 
  

   identifying 
  it. 
  Moreover, 
  von 
  Lendenfeld 
  gives 
  Port 
  Phillip 
  as 
  a 
  locality 
  for 
  his 
  

   Ascetta 
  prociunbens. 
  

  

  {e.) 
  Locality.— 
  '^eav 
  Port 
  Phillip 
  Heads. 
  (Coll. 
  J. 
  B. 
  Wilson.) 
  

  

  10. 
  Lcucosolenia 
  ventricosa, 
  Carter, 
  sp. 
  

  

  (PL 
  I., 
  Figs. 
  8, 
  9, 
  10 
  ; 
  PL 
  IV., 
  Fig. 
  4 
  ; 
  PL 
  X., 
  Fig. 
  4.) 
  

  

  Clathrina 
  ventricosa, 
  Carter, 
  Annals 
  and 
  Magazine 
  of 
  Natural 
  History, 
  June, 
  

   1886, 
  p. 
  512. 
  

  

  {a.) 
  General 
  Appearance 
  and 
  Canal 
  System. 
  — 
  The 
  sponge 
  (PL 
  I., 
  Figs. 
  8, 
  9, 
  10) 
  

   forms 
  large, 
  irregularly 
  lobose 
  masses 
  with 
  nearly 
  even 
  or 
  very 
  uneven 
  surface, 
  

   each 
  colony 
  forming 
  a 
  thick 
  wall 
  around 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  pseudogaster 
  which 
  penetrates 
  

   to 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  sponge. 
  Several 
  such 
  colonies 
  may 
  occur 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  fused 
  

   together 
  side 
  by 
  side, 
  each 
  with 
  its 
  large 
  pseudogaster. 
  Well-grown 
  specimens 
  

   measure 
  about 
  75 
  mm. 
  in 
  height 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  diameter. 
  Each 
  pseudogaster 
  

   opens 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  colony 
  through 
  a 
  wide 
  pseudosculum 
  surrounded 
  by 
  an 
  

   extension 
  of 
  the 
  lining 
  membrane 
  of 
  the 
  pseudogaster 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  pseudoscular 
  

   fringe. 
  The 
  pseudopores 
  are 
  thickly 
  and 
  pretty 
  evenly 
  distributed 
  in 
  the 
  pseudoderm, 
  

   varying 
  in 
  size 
  up 
  to 
  about 
  1 
  mm. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  mostly 
  of 
  oval 
  shape. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  lower 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  colony 
  short, 
  root-like 
  processes 
  are 
  given 
  off 
  

  

  