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

;SPONGIIDA. 481space to its description. The complexity of its spiculation and thecurious occurrence of the globostellate and of the surface acerateall combine to render it reaiarkable. Possibly it may have in thefuture to be separated from Oeodia s. str. It is noteworthy that,while one of the specimens (the larger) exhibits nothing like a vent,the other has a circular opening leading obliquely and deeply intothe sponge, lined with a soft wall, and about 4 millim. in diameter ;its margin is slightly raised at one point. It is possible that it ismerely an opening formed by growth over some cylindrical foreignbody which has since disappeared; if a vent, its absence in theother specimen is remarkable. Mr. Carter does not mention anyvents in his specimens.107. Placospongia carinata.Geodia carinata, Botcerbank, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 298, pi. xlvi. figs. 1-5.This species differs from P. melohesiokles, Gray, the typical speciesof the genus, in having a spinispirular and a globostellate fleshspicule,the latter with furcate rays. Taking this difference intoconsideration, it is impossible any longer to regard the two speciesas identical. Some fine specimens were most fortunately obtainedin spirit.Ilab. Prince of Wales Channel, Torres Straits, 7 fms. ; bottom sand.Distrihufion. Dr. Bowerbank's specimen is said to have been obtainedin the " South Sea."CALCAREA.As with the collections made by the 'Alert' on the Patagoniancoasts, so with those from the north and north-east of Australia, avery small number of Calcisponges have to be recorded, and nospecies new to science. Perhaps this is in part to be connected withthe fact that but few Algje (which so commonly afford a resting-placeto these Sponges) occurred among the collections sent to the BritishMuseum. But Hiickel says (' Kalkschwiimme,' i. p. 42(3) of Calcarea,"Aufsandigem oder schlammigem Grunde wachsen nur sehr weuigeArten ;" hence, as the abundant details given by Dr. Coppinger ofthe nature of the bottom on the coasts more particularly investigatedby the Alert ' ' show that it is chiefly composed of sand ormud or loose shells, this group of Sponges was likely to be found tobe but poorly represented on the actual coast-line of this districtthe coral-reef might be expected to produce more.Judging from the collections in the British Museum, from Hiickel'sTables of Distribution (cyj. cit. i. pp. 430-432), and fromDr. Polejaeff''8Keport, the south coast of Australia appears to be considerably moreproductive,I know of oidy two species from the western coast of the continentbut that district has been but imperfectly investigated hitherto.From the east coast Hiickel records but six species, Polejaeff addsfifteen or sixteen species being known from this region.eight, and the present collection two. None of the species now to2i