Sponges of Palau, I — Bergquist 
155 
staining than usual and elongate fibrous cells 
are concentrated with their long axes parallel to 
the spicules. These columns usually traverse ap- 
proximately one third of the thickness of the 
sponge. 
The mesh of the endosomal reticulum is 100— 
12 5g; three to six spicules join at the corners of 
the mesh and conspicuous patches of spongin 
occur at all intersections. In the deeper parts of 
the sponge the reticulum is less regular, and 
occasionally three to four spicule lengths will 
be encased in spongin, simulating a fibrous 
structure. 
SPICULES: Megascleres. Oxeas, straight or 
slightly curved, evenly tapered, 132-158 X 1.8- 
6.0/x. 
Microscleres. Toxas, of relatively open form 
with little or no reflexure of the tips, 25-9 6g 
(60g). 
DISCUSSION: This rather fragmentary speci- 
men is identified with Toxadocia violacea from 
Hawaii chiefly upon spicule characters. Spicula- 
tion and violet color are the distinguishing fea- 
tures of T. violacea. The toxa of the type (USNM 
22752) and the Palau specimen are closely com- 
parable in shape, and the size range of the oxeas 
is close. 
DISTRIBUTION: Hawaii (de Laubenfels). 
GENUS Orina Gray 
Orina sagittaria ( Sollas ) 
Fig. 18^, b, c 
Gellius Sagittarius Sollas ,1902, p. 212, pi. XV, 
fig. 7. 
Adocia sagittaria Burton, 1934, p. 538. 
OCCURRENCE: Sta. 12, 60. 
DESCRIPTION: The habit of this sponge is 
most distinctive, with a massive base producing 
one to three stout fistules from the upper sur- 
face. These anastomose and then subdivide ter- 
minally into a number of finer tubes which 
expand into an oval structure on which pores are 
located. The walls of the tubes contain vertical 
spicule tracts, and the terminal expansion is 
merely an open network of irregular tracts with 
little or no reticulate structure and a minimum 
of soft tissues. Lateral branches may arise from 
the upright fistules. One such branch shows a 
terminal expansion which is not plainly set off 
from the tube: the walls merely become trans- 
parent, the fibres are prominent, the surface 
hispid, and the lumen a little wider. This is inter- 
preted as a developmental stage of the typical 
structure described above. The function of these 
terminal caps is unknown; they were often ob- 
served free floating in the field and may possibly 
be an asexual dispersal structure. There is noth- 
