HINDIA. 157 



Family. — Anomocladina. 



Genus. — Hindia, Duncan. 



39. Hindia pumila, Hinde, sp. nov. Plate V, figs. 8, 8 a — 8/. 



1880. Lithistid (? Tripod-like surface spicule of unknown species), Carter. Ann. 



and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 5, vol. vi, pi. xiv b, figs. 10, 11. 



1883. Doryderma daleyense (in part), Hinde. Cat. Foss. Sponges, p. 210, 



pi. xxxviii, figs. 7 e — 7 g. 



Entire Sponge unknown, the skeletal-spicules included in the species are, for 

 the most part, tripodal in form, with a compressed triangular central node, from 

 which three, short, cylindrical, straight or curved rays are given off. The rays 

 terminate in flattened or concave, circular or ovate expansions. In some instances 

 one of the rays furcates, so that the spicule consists of four rays. The central 

 node is flattened or slightly convex above, and generally smooth and even, but in 

 one specimen a small central wart is present. The spicular rays vary from '2 to 

 •35 mm. in length by "09 mm. in thickness. 



In their peculiar tripodal form these spicules so closely resemble those of 

 Hindia fibrosa, the typical species of the genus, that they may reasonably be 

 included in it. They are, however, considerably larger than those of the type 

 form, and further differ in the absence of the fourth or truncated ray, which in 

 most, if not in all the spicules of Hindia fibrosa, projects upwards from the centre 

 of the spicular node. It is possible that even in this latter species the fourth ray 

 may be in some instances altogether suppressed, and its absence in these Carbo- 

 niferous spicules is not sufficient to exclude them from the genus. 



I had previously placed these detached spicules under Doryderma, but after 

 seeing a larger series of them, and comparing them with the spicules of Hindia 

 fibrosa, which I have lately obtained in a similarly detached condition, it seems 

 preferable to remove them to the present genus. The spicules occur in the 

 decayed chert of Ben Bulben, they are siliceous and in the same state of preserva- 

 tion as the hexactinellid spicules with which they are associated. Fragmentary 

 spicules allied to the Ben Bulben forms, if not identical with them, are also present 

 in the Sponge-beds at Richmond, Yorkshire. 



Distribution — Upper Limestones of the Carboniferous series ; Ben Bulben, near 

 Sligo, Ireland (J. Wright). 



