﻿A 
  MONOGKAPH 
  OF 
  THE 
  YICTOEIAN 
  SPONGES. 
  19 
  

  

  The 
  nature 
  of 
  these 
  "yellow 
  granules," 
  as 
  I 
  propose 
  to 
  call 
  them, 
  is 
  extremely 
  

   enigmatical 
  and 
  the 
  first 
  question 
  which 
  presents 
  itself 
  is, 
  do 
  they 
  really 
  belong 
  to 
  

   the 
  sponge 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  fouad 
  or 
  are 
  they 
  parasitic 
  or 
  symbiotic 
  organisms 
  ? 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  two 
  arguments 
  in 
  favour 
  of 
  the 
  view 
  that 
  they 
  really 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  

   sponge. 
  (1) 
  They 
  occur 
  in 
  great 
  numbers, 
  arranged 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  and 
  having 
  

   the 
  same 
  characteristic 
  structure 
  in 
  all 
  specimens 
  of 
  Leucosolenia 
  cavata 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  

   examined, 
  so 
  much 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  form 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  striking 
  characteristics 
  of 
  the 
  

   species. 
  (2) 
  They 
  bear 
  a 
  rather 
  striking 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  developing 
  flagellated 
  

   chambers 
  described 
  by 
  me 
  in 
  the 
  embryo 
  of 
  Stelospongos 
  Jiabellifonnis* 
  

  

  On 
  tlie 
  other 
  hand 
  there 
  are 
  very 
  serious 
  arguments 
  against 
  this 
  view. 
  (1) 
  

   They 
  are 
  only 
  known 
  to 
  occur 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  and, 
  perhaps, 
  in 
  Leucosolenia 
  

   corincea-f 
  and 
  L. 
  oscuhtm 
  (vide 
  infra) 
  (I 
  find 
  them 
  also 
  in 
  L. 
  dnbia 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  

   not 
  impossible 
  that 
  that 
  " 
  species 
  " 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  young 
  form 
  of 
  L. 
  cavata.) 
  (2) 
  

   With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  structures 
  already 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  embryos 
  of 
  Stelospongos 
  

   flabelUfonnis 
  they 
  are 
  unlike 
  any 
  other 
  structures 
  found 
  in 
  sponges, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  scarcely 
  

   conceivable 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  developing 
  flagellated 
  chambers, 
  or 
  masses 
  of 
  collared 
  

   cells, 
  because 
  the 
  true 
  collared 
  cells 
  in 
  L. 
  cavata 
  are 
  plainly 
  visible, 
  altogether 
  

   different 
  in 
  appearance 
  and 
  distributed 
  in 
  a 
  totally 
  different 
  manner. 
  The 
  idea 
  that 
  

   they 
  might 
  form 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  accessory 
  chambers 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  commended 
  itself 
  to 
  me 
  

   but 
  I 
  can 
  see 
  nothing 
  to 
  warrant 
  such 
  a 
  supposition 
  ; 
  moreover 
  the 
  crescentic 
  or 
  discoid 
  

   space 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  annular 
  group 
  of 
  granules 
  shows 
  no 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  canal 
  

   system 
  of 
  the 
  sponge. 
  (3) 
  The 
  behaviour 
  of 
  the 
  granules 
  towards 
  reagents 
  is 
  not 
  

   altogether 
  what 
  one 
  would 
  expect 
  if 
  they 
  were 
  'really 
  sponge-cells. 
  Their 
  colour, 
  

   when 
  mounted 
  in 
  l)alsam 
  without 
  staining, 
  is 
  distinctly 
  yellowish. 
  They 
  stain 
  well, 
  

   however, 
  with 
  hfematoxylin. 
  When 
  treated 
  with 
  solution 
  of 
  iodine 
  alone, 
  or 
  

   with 
  iodine 
  and 
  sulphuric 
  acid, 
  no 
  blue 
  colour 
  is 
  discernible, 
  but 
  when 
  

   fragments 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  are 
  boiled 
  in 
  caustic 
  potash 
  solution 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  

   isolating 
  the 
  spicules 
  the 
  yellow 
  granules 
  withstand 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  potash 
  and 
  

   appear 
  in 
  the 
  preparations 
  of 
  the 
  spicules. 
  This 
  last 
  observation 
  leads 
  nic 
  to 
  

  

  * 
  " 
  Stiulies 
  on 
  tlie 
  Compaiative 
  Anatomy 
  of 
  Sponges, 
  IF. 
  itc." 
  Quart. 
  Joiirn. 
  Micro. 
  Sci., 
  Doc. 
  188S 
  (vidi: 
  

   especially 
  PI. 
  XXXHI. 
  Fig. 
  2?,.) 
  

  

  I 
  In 
  a 
  paper 
  in 
  the 
  Annals 
  and 
  Magai'.ine 
  of 
  Natural 
  Uistory 
  tor 
  July 
  188 
  1 
  (pp. 
  21, 
  22), 
  Mr. 
  Carter 
  describes 
  certain 
  

   granular 
  bodies 
  in 
  liowerbank's 
  Leucosoleniacoviacea 
  which 
  must 
  I 
  think 
  be 
  of 
  a 
  similar 
  nature 
  to 
  tlie 
  yellow 
  granules 
  of 
  

   Leucosolenia 
  cavata. 
  He 
  describes 
  them 
  fully, 
  but 
  unfortunately 
  without 
  figures 
  ; 
  the 
  description 
  runs 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  

   " 
  Taking 
  the 
  granule 
  singly, 
  it 
  is 
  splierical, 
  translucent, 
  and 
  glairy, 
  glistening 
  from 
  refraction 
  of 
  light, 
  of 
  a 
  faint 
  yellow 
  

   tinge, 
  and 
  varying 
  under 
  1-OOOOth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter, 
  although 
  rarely 
  attaining 
  this 
  size 
  in 
  this 
  state. 
  Tliey 
  are, 
  

   when 
  /;( 
  .si'df, 
  congregated 
  round 
  a 
  nucleated 
  cell 
  (the 
  ' 
  Kern 
  ') 
  which 
  is 
  often 
  so 
  indistinct 
  here 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  dillioult 
  

   to 
  see, 
  owing 
  to 
  its 
  delicate 
  (? 
  polymorphic) 
  structure 
  and 
  the 
  opaipio 
  mass 
  which 
  the 
  granules 
  form 
  when 
  closely 
  

   ajiplicd 
  to 
  it 
  in 
  juxtaposition 
  ; 
  or 
  they 
  are 
  scattered 
  throughout 
  the 
  syncytium 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  way 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Foraminifera 
  

  

  Iodine 
  docs 
  not 
  turn 
  them 
  piujile, 
  nor 
  does 
  licjuor 
  potassii' 
  dissolve 
  them; 
  but 
  stii)ng 
  nitric 
  acid 
  ap|)ears 
  

  

  to 
  destroy 
  their 
  sphericity, 
  which 
  may 
  b(^ 
  brought 
  back 
  again 
  by 
  tlio 
  addition 
  of 
  liipior 
  potassie. 
  This 
  glairy 
  refractive 
  

   appearance 
  gives 
  them 
  the 
  aspect 
  of 
  fat 
  or 
  albumen; 
  while, 
  like 
  the 
  green 
  granules 
  in 
  Spoiiiiillti, 
  they 
  appear 
  in 
  the 
  

   sulphur-yellow 
  and 
  scailet 
  varieties 
  of 
  (Ininlia 
  clathntu 
  [ 
  /,( 
  kco.mi/.'iiih 
  (•or/dcciij 
  to 
  bo 
  the 
  seat 
  of 
  these 
  colours 
  

   respectively, 
  when 
  they 
  might 
  be 
  termed 
  'pigmental.' 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  they 
  grow 
  into 
  the 
  larger 
  cells 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  )irotiiplasm 
  (the 
  ' 
  Kerne 
  '), 
  from 
  whicli 
  they 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  derived, 
  when 
  Ihey 
  may 
  fuUil 
  other 
  olVices 
  Mut 
  

  

  whatever 
  the 
  olli('(^ 
  of 
  the 
  granules 
  may 
  bo 
  no 
  one 
  as 
  yet 
  has 
  demonstrated 
  beyond 
  eonjeolure 
  what 
  they 
  are 
  or 
  what 
  

   purpose 
  they 
  nniy 
  subserve 
  either 
  in 
  the 
  sponges 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  Uhizopoda,— 
  so 
  they 
  are 
  still 
  C:illed 
  ' 
  the 
  granules.' 
  " 
  

  

  