346 A MONOGRAPH OF THE 



Tension and retentive spicula the same as on the 

 dermal membrane. 



Colour. — Alive, orange yellow. 



Locality. — Powey, Mr. C. W. Peach; Diamond Ground, 

 off Hastings, and South Coast of England, not uncommon. 

 J. S. Bowerbank. 



Examined. — In the living state. 



I am indebted to my indefatigable friend, Mr. Peach, for 

 two fine specimens of this sponge, which were found p,t 

 Fowey. The largest is eight inches in length and three in 

 width ; it has the appearance of a confused and much in- 

 osculating bundle of nearly parallel branches, and has no 

 remains of its base. The second specimen from Powey 

 was about five inches long by two in breadth, nearly com- 

 pact, and without the inosculating character of the first one. 

 I have also since received numerous specimens from the 

 trawlers at the Diamond Ground, off Hastings. They are 

 attached indifferently to pebbles, the shells of oysters, or 

 Peden maximus. They vary exceedingly in form and size, 

 sometimes being massive and compact in structure, and at 

 others assuming the form of numerous large cloacal fis- 

 tulse. One very large and fine specimen is nine inches in 

 length, four inches wide, and five in height, with eight or 

 nine basal points of attachment, and it has more than a 

 dozen large fistular lobes projected from its mass, in an 

 upward direction, each terminated by a single large orifice ; 

 the lobular masses varying in height from one to four inches, 

 and the cavities and terminal orifices from a quarter to 

 nearly an- inch in diameter. In the living state it is 

 tolerably solid ; and in drying, or when washed in fresh 

 water, a great quantity of gelatinoid sarcode runs from it. 

 In the living state it is of a bright orange-yellow colour, 

 but when dried it usually assumes a light gray tint. 



The dermal and interstitial membranes are tolerably well 

 preserved; they are abundantly supplied with tension 

 spicula, disposed without any approximation to arrange- 

 ment. The variety and irregularity in the size of the 



