oot Set eee Sa EET 
Wi ee eee ee 
eee ae eee et ee ee 
Ty a> cle ae en eee 
psy, Cle ag ae a, Sl op Sree pe i Og SS ol i ee ie a A 
ert ee 
188 3] Zoölogy. 1203 
magin islands, Alaska, for the gigantic Virgularian, Haliptera 
blakei, previously described by the author. 
Our FRESH-WATER SponcEs.—It is just twenty years since the 
first extended synopsis of the fresh-water sponges was published 
by Dr. Bowerbank (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, Nov. 24, 1863) in- 
cluding descriptions of twenty-one species. In 1842, twenty-one 
years before, Dr. Johnston’s “ History of British Sponges, &c.” 
described but two fresh-water forms under the names of Spon- 
gilla lacustris and Spongilla fluviatilis. These names had then 
long been applied to two supposable species, though no better 
line of distinction had been drawn between them than the differ- 
ing localities in which they were believed to be generally found. 
In Johnston’s work also the descriptions fail clearly to distinguish 
the species, and his illustrative figures appear to have both been 
taken from specimens of Spongilla lacusiris. Three years earlier, 
however (1839), Meyen had pointed out an essential difference be- 
tween them, independent of their locality and general form; and 
it is a curious fact that the name S, /acustris was finally attached 
to the sponge which, in this country at least, affects rapidly flow- 
ing streams, and S. fluviatilis to the one which prefers the still 
studied by H. J. Carter, Esq., F.R.S., among the other representa- 
tives of this growing family, became the basis of a new classifica- 
tion by the latter (“ History and Classification of the known spe- 
cies of Spongilla,” Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist, Feb., 1881) ; and 
this excellent monograph, covering about thirty recognized spe- 
cies, stands as our latest authority on the subject. 
_ The labors of a few workers during the last four years have 
added two well marked genera and a dozen or more American 
Species to this list, and commenced the accumulation of a mass 
of information as to their habits and distribution, that can hardly 
fail to prove of value. 
However meager may be the number of species in European 
and other foreign waters, it is plain that in America these sponges 
€xist in many varied forms which should be classified and de- 
scribed. The circular somewhat widely distributed during the 
Past summer with a view to invite contributions of sponges from 
localities which the writer could not personally visit, has been, 
thus far, quite disappointing in its results. Some contributions, 
however, have been received from those zealous workers, Mr. 
= forthe size and symmetry of its specimens, yet noticed. Some 
Of the streams in the New England and Middle States have been 
