PUEFACE. 



To my friend. Dr. Leared, I am much indebted for some 

 valuable and highly interesting specimens of the sponges 

 of commerce, in the condition in which they came from the 

 sea, and for a collection of marine sponges from the shores 

 of Iceland, To Dr. Lister, of Madeira, and to my friend, 

 Mr. J. J. Lister, of London, my thanks are also due for 

 donations of marine sponges. Professor Harvey, of Trinity 

 College, Dublin, has also favoured me with some interesting 

 specimens of sponges from Australia. To my friend Mr. 

 James Hilton, I am indebted for several new and interesting 

 forms of sponge spicula from the Indian Ocean, and to Mr. 

 George Hyndman, of Belfast, for many interesting species 

 from Belfast Lough, and other Irish localities. My late 

 friend. Commander Ince, R.N., favoured me with a collection 

 of sponges from the Chinese seas and other localities. To Mr. 

 J. Yate Johnson, of Madeira, I am much indebted for sponges 

 containing several new and very interesting forms of spicula 

 and organization, which are figured in this work, and also to 

 my late friend Dr. Johnston, of Berwick-on-Tweed, for nu- 

 merous acts of kindness, and for many interesting specimens 

 of West Indian sponges. My late friend Mr. Thomas 

 In gall, contributed largely to my knowledge of new forms 

 of spicula and other organs of the Spongiadse by numerous 

 donations of interesting species, and by placing the whole 

 of his extensive collection of sponges and of microscopic 

 objects illustrative of their structure at my service for exami- 

 nation. My late friend, Mr. Rupert Kirk, of Sydney, 

 kindly supplied me with a large collection of sponges from 

 Wollongong, near Sydney, and his son, Mr. Richard Kirk, 

 a similar collection from Port Pairey. My best thanks are 

 also due to Mr. Robert McAndrew, for numerous specimens 

 of British species, and for several highly interesting and 

 valuable sponges from the Coast of Norway, the structures 



