INTRODUCTION. 
Spong. 3 
INTRODUCTION. 
I. The record of Sponge literature for 1904 coraprises 61 publications 
(including 53a), exclusive of abstracts or reviews. This number is one 
more than that of last year, but not all of these publications belong to the 
year 1904 as will be seen by the list appended below. 
II. Sponge literature has during 1904 chiefly been enriched by the 
four splendid monographs of Ijima (24), Schulze (43), Topsent (50) 
and Wilson (60) — monographs principally of systematic value, though 
the last three authors also provide general accounts of the skeleton and 
other portions of sponge structure. The monograph of Ijima continues 
his important researches on Japanese Hexactinellids {Rossellidce) ; Schulze 
describes the Hexactinellid sponges of the " Valdivia " expedition ; Top- 
sent describes sponges from the Azores and Wilson sponges obtained by 
the " Albatross " in the Pacific Ocean. Other systematic memoirs of 
importance are those of Hinde (18, 19) on the genus Porosphcera, Minchin 
(36) on the genus Leucosolenia, Seely (45), Szymai^ski (47) and Thum 
(49). The number of new genera and new species described in 1904 is 
considerable. 
III. Some of the chief features of morphological importance to be 
noticed are the proof of the sponge nature and the description of the 
intimate structure of Po7'osphcera by Hinde (18) ; the description of the 
huge basal spicule of Monoraphis chuni by Schulze (43), who also gives a 
general account of Hexactinellid morphology, and, amongst other things, 
the description of Sollas' membrane in Foecillastra and Fenares, and of 
the reticular skeletal septa crossing the gastral cavity of Euplectella and 
Chonelasma by Wilson (60). 
IV. In Physiology, Bionomics and Economics, there is little to record. 
Maas (31, 32) describes the results of rearing Calcareous sponges in 
water deprived of calcium salts ; Cobb (5) gives an account of the sponge 
fishery in Florida ; Cotte (6) continues his studies on nutrition in 
sponges, and certain phenomena, which may be classed under the head- 
ing of Bionomics, are described by Cuenot (7), Duerden (9), Gruvel 
(15), Herdman (17), Topsent (50) and Wilson (60). In connection with 
the Reproduction of Sponges, Gorich (14) further contributes to our 
knowledge of spermato- and ovogenesis in sponges, and Ijima (24), 
Schulze (43), Topsent (50) and Wilson (60) also supply information 
concerning gemmule-formation, larvae and vegetative budding in several 
genera of siliceous sponges. 
V. Under the heading of Geographical Distribution, the most impor- 
tant contributions are the four large systematic monographs mentioned 
above, which describe sponges from the Japanese seas, Atlantic and 
Indian Oceans, Azores and South Pacific Ocean respectively. Sponges 
from waters adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean are also described by Iakhon- 
TOFF (23), by SowiNSKY (46), and by Szymanski (48). Calcareous sponges 
from the Antarctic Seas are described by Vanhoffen (56). The chief 
palseontological memoirs are those of Hinde (18, 19), Jukes-Browne & 
Hill (26) and Howe (41). 
Sponge memoirs, hitherto unrecorded, belonging to years decidedly 
previous to 1904 are those of Clarke (3), Gruvel (15), Hollick (21), 
Iakhontoff (23), Bemes (40) and Seely (45). 
1904. [Vol. xll] 
