BRITISH SPONGTADJE. 315 



rather short and stout. Interstitial membranes, 

 tension spicula acerate, slender, few in number. 



Colour. — Light lake, or rosy lilac. 



Habitat. — Roundham Head, Torbay, Mr. Gosse. 



Examined. — In the dried state. 



I am indebted to my friend Mr. Gosse for the only 

 specimen of this species that I have seen. He found it on 

 the under surface of a soft red sandstone at Roundham 

 Head, Torbay, and he states that it " is of a delicate light 

 lake, or rosy lilac, when alive." 



The sponge is about a line short of two inches in height, 

 and is formed of one tortuous upright branch, smallest 

 near the base, and largest near the middle, where it is 

 three lines in diameter. In its present dried state it is 

 compressed laterally to a considerable extent; but it is 

 probable that this is due to its having been dried between 

 papers. It has five large prominently elevated oscula, one 

 near the base, two near the middle, and two terminal ones ; 

 each osculum being about a line in diameter. 



The spicula of this species are as stout and somewhat 

 longer than those of D. varians, but there are no acuate 

 ones mixed with them, as in that species. They differ 

 from those of B. permollis in being nearly twice their 

 diameter, although about the same in length; and from 

 those of B. cinerea in being very much less in length, 

 although of about the same diameter. In D. Peachii the 

 difference in size and proportion is so striking as to render 

 a comparison unnecessary. 



The skeleton spicula rarely exceeds ^yh inch in length. 



The habit of this sponge appears to lae distinctly differ- 

 ent from that of any other known British species, the 

 sub-ramose form, and the large elevated oscula presenting 

 striking distinctive characters, that is presuming them to 

 b© constant. 



