NATURE OF SPONGES. 331 
plaits situate on or rising from the basis of the 
fabric. The smallest kind of lamellz are sometimes 
deficient, but the second sized invariably occur 
between the primary ones. ‘The only circumstance 
in the history of the species calculated to afford a 
specific name of any value, seems to be its great 
deficiency of stem, and I therefore propose to name 
it accordingly. Caryophyllea sessilis.—Primary 
lamelle of the star usually thirteen ; three lamellee 
of less size occupying the intervals, and the middle 
one of these predominating slightly in height and 
breadth and sending off from its base a thin flex- 
uous, and erect plate or process; all the lamelle 
rough with small tubercles, and more or less plaited 
on their edges. 
The engraving of this species of madrepore to 
which I would here refer the reader, is copied from 
a specimen which had only 10 primary lamellae, 
but the prevailing number is as above stated. I 
have lately had an opportunity of examining 
“ Johnston’s British Zoophytes,” (1838,) where 1 
perceive that this species had been observed by 
_ others on the southern coast prior to my own 
notice of it. It is the Caryophyllea Smithii of that 
work, though judging from the description of Dr. 
Fleming’s Caryophyllea cyathus found in Zetland, - 
I cannot agree with Dr. Johnston in making the 
twosynonymous. Surely a specific difference must 
subsist between specimens with 40, and those with 
13 or 14 primary lamelle. I refer the reader to 
Dr. Fleming’s account, and to the plate of Cary- 
ophyllea cyathus in “ Ellis’s Zoophytes.” 
Sponges.—In this tribe we manifestly trace what 
in the gradations of creation must be regarded as 
an intervening step between animals and vegetables. 
The evident animal forms termed “ polypi” observed 
in the other zoophytes—above the sponges in the 
scale of endowment—are here lost, together with 
Qe2 
! 
