164 
allel with the surface, and often arranged in two directions Cros¬ 
sing one another at a right angle. The browntsh pigment is espec- 
iallv deposited in the cortex. 
Spicules: (fig. 36a-c) 1. styli; sometimes polytylote; narrow 
base growing thicker towards the middle, then again tapering evenly 
Tthe very Larp-pointed apex; spicule very straight; length vary- 
ing about 650 2 . ty losty li, but varying through intermediate 
forms to styli; slightly curved; thickest about the bending, tapering 
a little towards the somewhat narrower base, and tapering eve y 
towards the very sharp apex; length varying somewhat about 165 
by a thickness of ca. 4 
Family Spongidae. 
Genus Spongelia Nardo. 
I must confess, that the evidently numerous Spongelia-species 
are rather unfamiliar to me, so that it is impossible for me to de- 
termine the following species with a tolerable degree of certainty. 
The Australian forms, especially those described by Len den feid, 
are in most places so incompletely described, that 1 for one cannot 
recognize them; and besides it seems to me that the genus Spon¬ 
gelia needs a critical monographic revision; I will therefore not 
further complicate the matter by adding new uncertain species. 
Spongelia sp. a. 
Carnley Harbour. 45 f. Sandy clay. 6/XII.1914. 
Irregularly shaped; consists mostly of densely anastomosing, 
rather evenly thick branches. The biggest specimen 40-50 mm 
in greatest extension. Most characteristic are the numerous small 
conuli, ca. 2 mm in height, separated from one another by a dis¬ 
tance of 2—4 mm; from the apices of these conuli are stripes 
extending in every direction, quite as if the dermal-membrane were 
plaited as a. tent-canvas raised in the middle by a stick. Oscu a 
small, ca. one mm in diameter. Ostia cannot be seen. Dermal- 
membrane very thin and pellucid. Consistence soft, rather tough, 
only a littls ølastic. Colour fleshy. 
