Sponges. 
203 
the sponge, each closely embraced in the network of the skeleton. The pneumatic 
layer is thick and uniform, its cells relatively large. There is a single, long, curved, for 
aminal tubule, lying in a crater-like depression in the pneumatic coat. The gemmule- 
spicules are scattered among the inner cells of this coat and also on its external 
surface ; they lie more or less parallel to the surface of the gemmule. 
The macroscleres are small, stout, smooth, straight or feebly curved, somewhat 
bluntly and abruptly pointed at both ends. The axial channel can often be detected 
in them. There are no flesh-spicules. The gemmule-spicules, which are not at 
all numerous, are small and slender, irregularly spiny and as a rule pointed at 
both ends. Their spines are always very short. 
Measurements : — 
Gemmule . . . . . . o"476 x 0'425 mm. 
Length of macrosclere .. .. o-i68 — ^0-2 ,, 
Breadth of macrosclere . . . . o*oi6 — 0'024 „ 
Gemmule-spicules . . . . . . 0*072 — 0'o8 ,, 
Locality. Loen Mong, Soochow, Kiangsu Province, China. (Gee). 
Type-specimen. No. P. 50/1, Zool. Survey of India {Ind. Mus.). 
This species resembles Spongilla nitens, Carter from tropical Africa more closely 
than any other, but the skeleton-spicules are considerably smaller and are pointed in- 
stead of being rounded at the tips and the skeleton is less massive. 
Spongilla conifera, Annandale. 
(Plate IX, figs. 3-5). 
1916. Spongilla conifera, Annandale. op. cit., p. 51. 
The most remarkable features of this sponge are the small size of all its parts and 
the peculiar structure of the gemmules ; this is clearly shown in the figures on pi. IX. 
Round the base of the gemmule there is often a circle of minute spinelets formed 
owing to an imperfect development of the pneumatic cells in this region. 
I have discovered a few free-microscleres in specimens since the original descrip- 
tion was published. These microscleres are cylindrical, straight, blunt at the ex- 
tremities and covered with short spines. Minute smooth amphioxi occur occasionally 
in the parench^nna, but are probably young macroscleres, also spiny amphioxi and 
amphistrongli which are apparently adventitious. The macroscleres are occasionally 
amphistrongylous and vary greatly in size, proportions and outline ; they are 
always smooth. 
Subgenus Stratospongilla, Annandale. 
Spongilla sinensis, Annandale. 
1910. Spongilla {Siratospongilla) sinensis, Annandale, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 38, p. 183. 
Mr. Gee has sent me further specimens from Soochow, the original locality, 
and from Foo Mong in the same neighbourhood. The gemmule-spicules are often 
very irregular, never spiny. I have nothing else to add to the original description. 
