Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

SPONGIIPA. 371a. Papers, describing about 70 species from Ceylon, by Carter(' Annals and Magazine of Natural History,' ser. 5, vol. vi. pp. 35,129, viii. p. 361, xi. p. 353); one by Eblers (Die EsperschenSpongien &c.), redescribing 4 species from Ceylon and South India;and one by Uowerbank, describing a few from Ceylon (Proceedingsof the Zoological Society of London, 1873, p. 25).b. A paper, describing 4 or 5 species from Mauritius, by Carter(Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 5, vol. iii. pp. 284, 343).c. Descriptions of 3 species from the lied Sea, by Carter (torn,cit. p. 298) and Bowerbank (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 630).d. Papers by Bowerbank, describing 17 species from the Straitsof Malacca (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 325 ; 1875, p. 281).e. A paper by the same author, describing 3 species from thenorth of jNew Guinea (op. cit. 1877, p. 450)./. A paper by Carter (Philosoph. Transactions Eoyal Society,vol. 1 68. p. 286), describing 8 species from Kerguelen Island.The Calcarea of this region have received considerable attentionfrom Prof. Hiickel in his famous monograph ; and a pupil of his(Schuffner) has described (Jenaische Zeitsch. 1878) some speciescollected at Mauritius. The 'Challenger' collection (Z. c. p. 366) produced6 species from the Indian Ocean.I propose here only to notice some of the most salient facts of thedistribution, the known distribution of the species being given belowunder each.Of the 110 species described below, only 27 species (25 per cent.)are known with certainty to occur outside the Australian seas.Of these :—a. One, Leucetta prirnigenia, is almost cosmopolitan.h. Four, viz. Beniera mdistincta, Gidlixs coiichi, Suherites carnosus,Hymeniacidon canineula, occur in the British seas.c. Five, viz. Euspongia ojjicinalis, Cacospongia moUior, Renieraaqnaxluctus, Tedania digitata., Oellius Jjhidatus, occur in the Mediterranean,the last also on the Portuguese coast.d. Three, viz. Gladocludina armigera, Acervoclialina Jimthna, Tedaniadigitata, in the West Indies.e. One, viz. Cladoclialina pergamentacea, near the Brazilian coast.f. One, viz. Siplionochaliaa tubulosa, is known from the Cape ofGood Hope.g. Three, viz. Tuhidodigitus communis, Spirastrella vagahunda,Geodia glohostellifera, from Ceylon ; the first also from Kurrachee.h. Fourteen (comprising 4 Ceratosa, 1 or 2 each of Calcarea,Tetractinellida, and of each family of the Monactinellida except theSuberitidae) from the tropical parts of the Western Indian Ocean(see Part II. of this Boport).^. Six, viz. Toxochalina folioides, Gellius cmichi, G. variiis, RliizocJudinas-ingaporensis, Iotrochotapurpurea,Glatlina frondifera, hom.the Straits of Malacca.j. One, viz. To.vocJifdina folioides, from New (Tuinoa.It should be noticed that the most widely ranging forms belonginmost cases to very generalized types, such as might bo expected topossess considerable antiquity, and hence a wide distribution. Another'2b 2