ANDREWS—ON IRISH SPONGES. | 799 
Mr. Andrews, though not on the programme for a Paper on this 
evening, claimed permission of the Meeting to make a few observations 
relating to Irish Sponges. He stated that he had not prepared any paper, 
nor did he intend to make any observations from an arranged state- 
ment. He was anxious, however, to have placed on record several 
species of rare Irish Sponges that had been noticed at the early meetings 
of the Society, but which had not been mentioned as Irish in Dr. Bow- 
erbank’s recent work on British Spongiade. 
Very fine specimens of Grantia nivea (Johnston), Leuconia nivea 
(Bowerbank), were exhibited by Dr.Scouler in May, 1844, obtained 
from Roundstone Bay, Connemara. The singularity of the species from 
that coast does not appear to have been noticed by Bowerbank, who 
gives no record of any Irish locality ; in Thompson the name is merely 
given, ‘‘ West coast of Ireland, M‘Calla.”’ 
Dr. Scouler at a meeting, early in 1846, gave the characteristics of 
Halicondria hispida. This rare species had not been obtained since it 
was recorded by Montagu, in the “ Wernerian Transactions,” as met 
with on the south coast of England, this discovery being its first record 
as Irish, not having been mentioned by Bowerbank as Dictyocylindrus 
hispidus, but no Irish locality given. 
At the same meeting Dr. Scouler brought to notice fine specimens of 
Halichondria Johnstonia. Dr. Scouler considered at the time that it 
presented features so different from what had hitherto been recorded, 
from its remarkable papillous appearance, and in the peculiarity of the 
pores, as to form it into a new genus—Amphitrema. It has not been 
recorded from the coast of Ireland by either Johnston or Thompson. It 
has been collected in several parts of Galway Bay; but Mr. Andrews 
was not aware of any other locality on the Irish coast. Dr. Bowerbank 
has formed it into a new genus, Pachymatisma (Pachymatisma John- 
stoma). A drawing was made by the late Dr. Harvey, and several 
characteristics of the spicula noticed, which present great variety of 
forms, similar to several occurring in other genera. ‘The ovaria are 
numerously imbedded in the structure. 
One of the most remarkable that had been collected in Galway and 
Dingle Bays was Halichondria celata (Johnston), Cliona celata (Grant), 
and subsequently named Raphirus Griffithsie by Bowerbank. No sponge 
has caused more confusion than this, whether we consider its range in 
deep and shallow water, its varied distribution of attachment, or the 
very dissimilar outline of form and structure it not unfrequently as- 
sumes—so much so, that H. celata of Johnston had been divided into 
twelve species. It still presents such anomalies that it is not impro- 
bable that new features may be described when its decided animality is 
more thoroughly investigated. It is one of those difficulties that have 
to be encountered in the examination of the anatomy and physiology of 
the sponges, for unless collected and dissected with care in the living 
state no true characteristics can be depended upon. Dried specimens give 
by no means even a correct outline of their form or mode of growth, and 
the more remarkable features are altogether lost—the peculiar action of 
