280 A MONOGRAPH OF THE 



ber. Gemmules : spherical^ membranous, aspicu- 

 lous. 



Colour. — Fawn yellow. 



Habitat. — Bantry Bay, Rev. A. M. Norman. 



Examined. — In the dried state. 



The form of the type specimen of this species is that of 

 an irregular patch, of an average diameter of two and a 

 quarter inches, and, in the dried state, not exceeding two 

 lines in thickness. 



The surface is slightly undulating, and appears smooth 

 to the eye, and it is only when examined closely by the 

 microscope that it is apparent that a few of the terminal 

 spicula of the primary lines of the skeleton are occasionally 

 projected beyond its plane. 



The oscula were about ten in number, and varied in 

 diameter from half a line to the tenth part of an inch. 



The spicula of the dermal membrane are very little less 

 in size than those of the skeleton. They are irregularly, 

 but evenly dispersed. In the interstitial membranes they 

 are similar in size and form, but fewer in number. 



In the skeleton of this species the cementing keratode is 

 in much greater quantity than I have observed in any other 

 species of the genus with which I am acquainted, so much 

 so as to frequently closely simulate the keratose fibre of a 

 Chalina, but in no case have I seen it assume the decidedly 

 cylindrical form that prevails in that genus. 



Imbedded in the sarcode immediately beneath the der- 

 mal membrane, and in the other parts of the sponge, there 

 were a considerable number of gemmules irregularly dis- 

 persed. They were spherical in form, and the adult ones 

 varied in diameter from ^'goth inch to Tisoth inch, and there 

 were also numerous smaller ones in a more or less undeve- 

 loped state. The adult ones were all filled with well- 

 defined, round or oval vesicular molecules. 



