45 



PLATE XVIII. 



DiCTYOOYLINDJiUS FASCICULAKIS, Bowerlaul:. 

 Vol. ii, p. 110, ' Mon. Brit. Spongiadas.' 



Fig. 1. — Represents tlie finest and most perfect 

 specimen I liave yet seen from the Diamond Trawling 

 Ground, off Hastings, in tlie condition in which it came 

 from tlie sea, and of the natural size. In its wet and 

 natural state the branches were cylindrical and of a 

 rich amber yellow colour, and no spicula were projected 

 through the dermal membrane. 



Fig. 2. — Is from a portion of a dried specimen from 

 the same locality as that represented by fig. 1. It 

 exhibits the contracted asjject of the sponge from 

 drying ; the sarcodous external portions assuming the 

 form of longitudinal angular ridges. Natural size. 



Fig. 3. — One of the skeleton spicula from the axial 

 column of the sponge. X 80 linear. 



Fig. 4.' — Represents four of the minute stellate 

 spicula of the sarcode of the interstitial membranes 

 from the specimen represented by fig. 1. X 530 

 linear. From this specimen I obtained a more satis- 

 factory view of these mmute organs than I had pre- 

 viously, and I found the radii in the greater portion of 

 them more or less furcated. These spicula are 

 strikingly illustrative of the species. 



The development of more than one principal bi^anch 

 from the base is not singular in the specimen figured. 

 I have another specimen which has two perfect stems, 

 and the remainder of a third one from the same base. 



