4 & 'pong. 
spongij:. 
RECENT SPONGES. 
General. 
Yosmaer (29), in the introduction to his work on Sponges, continues 
the history of the group from 1792 to 1856. 
Potts (18 & 19) and Priest (20) give popular accounts of fresh-water 
Sponges and their statoblasts. 
Anatomy and Histology. 
Lendenfeld (11) gives a full description of the anatomy and histology 
of Aplysilla violacea (sp. n.) and Dendrilla (g. n.) rosea (sp. n.), and 
D. aerophoba (sp. n.). Especially novel is the presence of glandular 
cells situated beneath the ectodermal epithelium of these Sponges. They 
resemble in form and structure sponginoblasts, with which the author 
regards them as homologous and analogous. 
Yosmaer (30) describes fully the anatomy and histology of Velinea 
(g. n.) gracilis (sp. n.). 
Ridley (22) describes and figures the oscula of Suberites ficus. 
The structure of the statoblasts of various fresh-water Sponges is 
described by Yejdovsky (26, 27, 28), Marshall (13, 14), Retzer 
(23). Marshall suggests a comparison between the statoblasts of 
fresh-water Sponges, and the external gemmules of certain marine 
Sponges. 
The structure of the ovum of Suberites domunculus , Nardo, and of the 
ovigerous layer of this Sponge, are described by Carter (4). 
Carter (5) describes a new form of Esperine spicule; it has the form 
of the letter C, with five claws at each end. 
Ontogeny. 
Polejaeff (17) describes the development of the spermatozoa in 
Sycandra raplianus growing at Trieste. 
Nassanow (16) briefly describes the early development of Cliona. 
Phylogeny. 
Marshall (14) considers it probable that the fresh-water Sponges are 
derived by polyphyletic origin from the Renieridce. Given Renierid 
Sponges isolated in different fresh- water areas under similar conditions, 
he considers that statoblasts (internal gemmules) may arise independently 
in all of them. Still, many fresh-water Sponges, e.g., LubomirsJcia and 
Potamolepis (g. n.) are without statoblasts ; these are probably late 
immigrants into fresh-water. 
Physiology. 
Lendenfeld (11) describes the results of experiments on the mode of 
nutrition of the Sponges described in his paper. He considers that the 
