BIOLOGY. 
Spong. 11 
Minchin (25) upholds tho namo Ascandra versus Lendenfeld. 
Dodeiilein (G) considers his Pctrostroma allied to the Pharetrones and 
to Lelapia. 
I jim A (14) wishes to combine all Hcxactinellids with discoctasters in 
one subfamily. He thinks that this group is natural and divided by 
a wide gap from the other ltossellidae. 
F. E. Schulze (34) has now come to the conviction that the deeply 
situated microscleres are peculiarly conservative in character. He there- 
fore considers their shape as being of greater systematic value than was 
hitherto supposed, and he now attaches less value to external characters 
than he did formerly. The diagnoses of some families are modified and 
some genera joined or suppressed in consequence : Balanella joined to 
Caulophacus ; Pleorhabdus suppressed; Craterochone joined to Aulochone. 
Lendenfeld (21) accepts Vosmaer’s division of the Monaxonida into 
Clavulina and Cornacuspongice with some emendations. Asterose Micro- 
scleres, monactine Megascleres and the want of Spongin are characters 
of the Clavulina ; meniscoid Microscleres, diactine Megascleres and 
Spongin characters of the Cornacuspongice. The Suberites , Tethydce and 
Spirastrellidce form the types of the Clavulina, the Desmacidonidce, Renie- 
ndce and Spongidce the types of the Cornacuspongice. The doubtful 
forms are so arranged, that all which have asterose Microscleres (whether 
they possess a horny skcloton or not) and also tho forms with diactine 
Megascleres which resemble the typical Clavulina in tho structure of 
their soft parts, are placed in the Clavulina ; the rest in the Cornacu- 
spongice. The Cornacuspongice are supposed to be descended — polyphy- 
letically — from the Clavulina. 
The scheme of classification of the Clavulina proposed by Lendenfeld 
(21) is the following: 
f Euastrosa 
(with Euasters) 
witli Megascleres 
f Tethydce 4 Genera 
(without 
Spongin) 
Stelligeridce 2 Genera 
(with 
V Spongin) 
without Megascleres 
( Chondrillidce 
(with 
Microscleres) 
Chomirosidce 
(without 
^ Microscleres) 
1 Genus 
1 Genus 
/ Placospongidce 1 Genus 
(with Pseudo- 
sterraster) 
CLAVULINA < 
Spirastrosa 
(with Spira- 
sters, without 
Euasters) 
Dcndropsidoc 1 Genus 
(with 
Spongin) 
(without Tseudo- 
' sterraster) 
i 
(without 
Spongin) 
I 
Lalrunculidce ... 1 Genus 
(Microscleres 
on surface, 
radial) 
\ Spirastrellidce ...6 Genera 
(Microscleres 
when present 
on surface, 
t tangential) 
Anastrosa 
(without Micro- ■< 
sclercs) 
( SuherilidfC 
(chiefly 
monactine 
Spicules) 
^ Stylocordylidce 
(exclusively 
diactine 
Spicules) 
7 Genera 
,2 Genera 
