CRETACEOUS SPOXGIOZOA OE SOUTHERN INDIA. 
59 
Description op a species of Sponges and one of Eoraminifera from the 
CRETACEOUS DEPOSITS OF SoUTH INDIA. 
Sub-ldngclom, AMORPHOZOA or PROTOZOA. 
Tliis fifth large division of the animal kingdom is represented in the cretaceous 
deposits of the Tricliinopoly district of Southern India merely hy two determin- 
able species, one Sponge and one Eoraminifer. Roth are fortunately referable to 
well known European fossils, Siplionia piriformis, Goldf., a very characteristic 
Cenomanien species, and Orhitoides Faujasi, Duj., an equally chai’acteristic Seno- 
nien species. The former is found in our Ootatoor or lowest, the latter in the 
Arrialoor, or uppermost, division, thus admirably supporting the view which we have 
taken of the age of the cretaceous deposits of the Trichinopoly and South Arcot 
districts. 
Class, SPONGIOZOA. 
The study of this class* has, within the last few years, been greatly extended 
through the elaborate researches of Dr. J. E. Gray, Bowerbank, Kent, Eimer, 
Haeckel, O. Schmidt, and many others. The fossil species have been worked out 
by Goldfuss, Broun, Geinitz, W. Dunker, Baron Rosen, etc. One of the 
most complete and most recent systems proposed is that of O. Schmidt, who 
divides the class into — 
1. — Uexactixellidje, in which the silicious spiculae are formed after the tri- 
axial type. 
2. — Halisarcix^, with the silicious spiculae of uni-axial type. 
3. — LimisiEA!, with a compound skeleton of apparently hrcgularly arranged 
spiculae, in part probably calcareous, in part silicious. 
4. — Calcisfoxgije, with a calcareous skeleton. 
The only species observed in South India belongs to the 
Group, LiTinsiEJE, 
being a form of the 
SIPHONIA, FarJe., 1811. 
It is characterised by a simple or geminal, globular, pyriform or even cylin- 
drical body, with a central or sub-central cylindrical cavity at the upper end ; from 
this cavity radiate in different directions thin canals, which terminate between small 
pores on the outer surface, the same having no epitheca ; the specimens are gene- 
rally sessile by a peduncle. 
The Siphonm are chiefly known from cretaceous deposits. 
* Recently their relation to the Anthozoa and the Cadenterata, generally, have been repeatedlj' pointed out. 
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