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

SPONGIIDA. 467cymose manner into branches. Branches in part subcylindrical, inpart compressed like the stems, of same diameters as stems ; theydivide and subdivide and anastomose irregularly, and frequentlyterminate in short vermiform tips about 10 millim. long by 2 millim.thick. Surface of sponge even, smooth. Texture in spirit rathertough, but dough-like, somewhat elastic. Internal structure subcompact,excretory canals small. Vents small, few, oval, 1 millim.in greatest diameter, with thin collapsing margins ; near ends ofbranches. Colour in spirit pale greenish white.Main skeleton consisting, beneath surface, of very loose spiculartracts confusedly arranged ; at the surface they are set regularly atright angles to it, and are about 8 to 10 spicules broad, with intervalsof "07 to '14 millim. between the tracts. Dermal skeletonformed by the points of the vertical tracts just mentioned, which donot project from the surface, and by a single thin layer of spiculesscattered horizontally on the surface. Surcode very pale, transpareni'.Spicules smooth, subspinulate, straight or slightly curved ; headmerely a slight enlargement of shaft, only slightly larger thanadjacent part ; shaft tapering to sharp point from near base ; size2S by -0063 millim.Hub. Port Jackson, 0-5 fms.A single spirit-specimen, 90 millim. (Sg inches) high, 55 millim.(2| inches) in diameter. This species recalls in colour and consistencySuherites carnosus, which, however, differs in its compact formand in the basal protuberance on the head of its spicule. Thehabit of growth is more that of Suherites antarcticus, C:;.rter(Ann. & Mag. N. H. 1882, ix. p. 350) ; but in that species thecolour is dark brown, and the spicule much larger and providedwith a large spherical head. It is near B. cartmcuJa, only the spiculesare of a rather smaller average size, and the head is sKghtlymore pronounced ; but the chief differences are the erect branchedgrowth as opposed to the horizontal, merely mammillated habit ofH. caruncula, and the pale whitish, not brown or yellow, colour.97. Hymeniacidon, ep.A small incrusting specimen of a dull dark crimson colour, inspirit; the margins glabrous, the centre of the surface roughenedby small conuli about -5 millim. high and '5 to 1 millim. apart.Primary skeleton-lines compact, about 10 spicules broad. Spiculessmooth acuate, tapering gradually to fine points ; size '16 to '22 by•0042 millim.Hah. West Island, Torres Straits, 7 fms.SPIRASTRELLA, Schmidt.In accordance with the rules of zoological nomenclature, thegeneric designation Suherites (Nardo) should be retained for thosespecies only which are generically identical with the type of Nardo'g2u 2