59 



No. 4 is identical with a specimen found in the Ottawa River 

 by Mr. Geo. Dawson, of Montreal, and named by him S. ottawa- 

 ensis. From some cause it does not grow large in this locality. I 

 found the largest pieces during last October that have been found. 

 These were quite fragmentary, the sponge having been pierced 

 through and through with numerous worms and other carnivorous 

 animals that feed upon it. The statoblasts are found in groups, 

 consisting of from two to four. These are cemented and enclosed 

 in an enveloping sarcode or other substance, with the short foram- 

 enal tubes projecting on the sides and generally turned upward. 

 The spiculas surrounding these, and which lie on the surface of the 

 statoblast horizontally, much resemble those of the S. fragilis, 

 except that they are more pointed, and, I think, not so densely 

 spined. The wall of the statoblast is very thin and beautifully 

 cellular in structure. 



The tubular prolongations and the appendages on No. 2 (C. 

 tubisperma) were so exceptional to anything described in sponge 

 literature, that the attention of two or three geetlemen who had 

 made the subject of sponges a specialty was called to them. Speci- 

 mens were sent and opinions solicited. Among those who were 

 consulted was Edward Potts, Esq., of Philadelphia, who, strangely 

 enough, had just discovered a specimen near Philadelphia, differing 

 greatly from ours, but having some of the tubular and tendril 

 prolongations. He subsequently found another, differing from the 

 preceding, yet having the same uncommon attachments. Thus we 

 had three species undescribed and unknown to science. Of course, 

 we felt justified in establishing a new genus. Mr. Potts proposed 

 to name it after Mr. Carter, the celebrated spongiologist of Eng- 

 land. Accordingly, specimens were sent to him for his inspection 

 and approval of the new genus. 



The three species were named Carterella tenosperma, C. latitenta 

 and C. tubisperma, the latter being the Buffalo species. To our 

 very great surprise, as soon as Mr. Carter had seen them he pro- 

 nounced the tubes and appendages to be a new species of spongi- 

 ophaga; that is, a parasite which he discovered in a marine sponge in 

 1878. In the Annals and Magazine of Natural History for November, 

 he states his reasons and gives drawings, well executed, but in some 

 cases not correct representations of the objects as we see them under 



