446 
DR. G. J. HINDE ON BEDS OF SPONGE-REMAIN'S IN THE 
only - 17 mm. apart. Both these forms are present in the lower greensand at Hasle- 
mere, and the smaller also occurs at Sevenoaks and Tilburstow Hill. 
Portions of the mesh of another species in which the nodes are octahedral occur in 
the malm at Merstham (fig. 9). 
43. Stauractinella, sp. (Plate 45, figs. 10, 10am).—Free hexactinellid spicules with 
straight or curved rays; the rays are nearly of an even thickness throughout and 
truncated at their ends. The nodes are compact, in some only five rays are developed. 
The rays are from ‘2 to ‘53 mm. in length, and '04 mm. in thickness. 
L. G. S., Haslemere, U. G. S., Blackdown, Merstham. 
44. Gompliites Parjitli, Carter (Plate 45, figs. 11, 11a; op. cit., p. 127. Plate 9, 
figs. 38, 39).—Free spicules, in which only five rays are developed, the rays short, 
tapering, and either straight or curved. The rays are ‘15 to ‘416 mm. in length, by 
‘066 mm. in thickness. 
U. G. S., Blackdown, Haldon. 
Whilst some of the above-mentioned spicules are widely distributed, and range from 
the lower greensand to the upper chalk, and even to the eocene, there are others 
which, so far as our present knowledge extends, are restricted to a single geological 
horizon. Thus, for example, the distinctive zone spicules of Geodites, which I have 
named Geodites robustus, G. pusillus, G. audax, and G. obtusus, have as yet only been 
found in the lower greensand ; Geodites dejlexus, G. Haldonensis and Tetliyopsis Haldo- 
nensis, are apparently restricted to the lower or Blackdown division of the upper 
greensand ; Geodites Carteri and G. prcelongus occur in both divisions ; and G. Wrightii 
ranges from the lower greensand to the upper chalk. 
The character of the sponges in these lower and upper greensand sponge-beds bears 
a very general resemblance to those which have been deposited, under similar detached 
conditions, in the upper chalk of Norfolk, the North of Ireland, Westphalia, and 
Bohemia. In all these localities the large majority of the detached spicules belong to 
tetractinellid sponges of the same genera as those in the greensand, and with these are 
mingled, in varying proportion, those of the other orders of siliceous sponges. As a 
rule entire sponges do not occur in connexion with these detached spicules, but in 
Westphalia hexactinellid sponges are present in the same beds. 
Becent deposits consisting largely of the detached spicules of disintegrated siliceous 
sponges, similar to those of the greensand, do not appear to have been met with in the 
dredging expeditions of these last few years, or at all events there is no record of 
them, but on the other hand entire siliceous sponges are stated by the late Sir Wyyille 
Thompson* to be very abundant in sonm areas of the Atlantic. 
* “Depths of the Sea,” pp. 416, 430. 
