SPONGIIDA. 



425 



Schmidt's Portuguese specimen differs from the specimen which 

 was originally described by him (and which was from Triest) in its 

 more massive habit and ill the much larger size of its bihamate, 

 which (as I find in the slide in the British Museum) measures "04 

 to -07 millim. in length, or -0337 (•337 miUim. seems to be a mis- 

 print), as he himself states at p. 40 of the ' Spong. Atl. Geb.' 

 Isodictya jugosa agrees closely with this form in the proportions 

 of its spicules, but was based on a very young specipien, so that its 

 external characters can hardly be appealed to ; it differs from the 

 specimens described below in its rough surface. 



Several specimens have lately been added to the National col- 

 lection from the neighbourhood of Eurrachee (Hindostan), which 

 consist usually of stout, horizontally spreading and anastomosing 

 lobes, with a row of vents of various sizes, about 10 miUim. or less 

 in diameter, ranged along their upper margins. The surface of 

 the sponge is quite smooth in most places, and the texture soft 

 and brittle. The spiculation closely resembles that of Beniera 

 fihulata. 



Lastly, in the present collection occur : — (i.) a smaU but massive 

 soft specimen from Torres Straits, with a few oscula on its summit ; 

 it has a somewhat pyriform shape, apparently owing to its having 

 grown upon the stem of what seems to be a filamentous Hydroid ; 

 (ii.) a fragmentary specimen, which apparently had when perfect the 

 same general habit as the Kurrachee specimens just referred to ; the 

 spiculation, is similar. I propose to unite all these forms except 

 I. jugosa under the na-vue fihulata ; I give the spiculations of all for 

 comparison : — 



The slender proportions of the acerate and the soft texture of 

 the sponge distinguish the species from O. varia, Bowk., and its 

 distinct vents from G. coucM, Bowk. 



Hah. Torres Straits, 10 fms. ; Port Jackson, 0-5 fms. 



Distribution. Adriatic, coast of Portugal (Schmidii) ; coast near 

 Kurrachee (coll. Mus. Brit.). 



61. Gellius cymiformis. (Pxatb XLI. fig. z.) 



Spongia cymseformis, Hsper, Pflamenth. FcHsetz. i. p. 43, Spong. 



pi. Ixix. 

 Isodictya cyrageformis, Ehlers, Espersch. Spong. p. 24. 



The external characters agree well with those of Esper's species, 



