191 



Megascleres diactinal. Microscleres characteristic fim- 

 briated isochela3. 



Homceodictya palmata, Johnston, LII. (Kidley and 



Dendy, 14, p. 108.) 



b. Sub-family Dendoeicin^e, Topsent. 

 Skeleton fibres not echinated. The megascleres of the 

 ectosome are usually of a different type of those of the 

 choanosome, generally diactinal. 



Genus Dendoryx, Gray. 



Skeleton reticulate. Megascleres of the ectosome 



usually diactinal, mostly smooth, in a few cases spined on 



the ends. Megascleres of the choanosome monactinal, 



always spined. Microscleres : usually isochelae, rarely 



anisochelae or no chelae at all. Sigmata may be present. 



Note. As the genus Dendoryx, defined as above, 



includes a great variety of forms, I think it useful to 



arrange the species according to the character of the 



ectosomal megascleres, and of the microscleres. 



According to Vosmaer (22, p. 359), D. dickiei and D. 



lurida are identical. But he apparently overlooked 



what Bowerbank says in regard to the former species 



(Vol. II, p. 254) : " The vast quanity and great size 



of many of the anchorate spicula is a very remarkable 



feature in this sponge." The corresponding spicule 



in D. lurida is considerably smaller. Still these 



two species, as possessing hastate diactinals (and thus 



forming Vosmaer 's genus Hastatus), stand much 



nearer to each other than they do to D. rugosa. 



1. Ectosomal megascleres diactinal, smooth : 

 a. with isochelae and sigmata : 

 Dendoryx inaequalis, B., 4, XVI. 



, incrustans, Esper, XLIV. (Hanitsch, 8, 



p. 204,) 



