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

'SPONGIIDA. 59711. Hircinia, sp.The same species as the unnamed Hircinia mentioned in Part I.of this Eeport. p. 387.A flattened specimen. The secondary fihres are somewhat stouterand darker in colour than in the Australian specimen, and the primariescontain less sand.Hah. Seychelle Islands, 4-12 fms.Distribution. See Part I. of this <strong>Report</strong>, p. 387.DYSIDEIDJE.Difsidea has a remarkably wide range in latitude, its localitiesincluding (among others) Iceland and England in the NorthAtlantic, the West Indies in the tropical Atlantic, the Cape and SouthAustralia in the Southern Ocean, the Western Indian Ocean andthe North of Australia in the tropical parts of the Indo-Pacificarea. While, on the other hand, it is abundant in individuals intemperate waters (as is the case on the British coasts), it appears tobe more prolific in species in subtropical and tropical waters (Mediterraneanand Indian Ocean). Two species occur in the district atpresent under notice, and four others were obtained by the 'Alertoff the Australian coast. The other genera appear to be much morelimited in range : Psammopemma, Marshall, was but once obtained bythe ' Alert ' (viz. in Torres Straits). Psammoclema and Psammascus,id., have not been recognized in any of the ' Alert ' collections.12. Dysidea conica.Bowerbank, P. Z. S. 187-3, p. 26, pi. vi. fig. 1.To this species, so fuUy described by Bowerbank, I assign a fragmentaryDysideid closely resembling the top of the specimen figured byhim, also some skeletons. Although the mesoderm contains abundantforeign bodies, the species does not fall into either of the generaPsammascus and Psammoclema, which Marshall has formed forDysideidae exhibiting this character, as it has neither the tubularform of the one nor the smooth surface of the other, but agrees withDysidea in its well-developed conuli. The dermis is dark to thenaked eye, but is transparent under the microscope. It is infestedby a SpongiopJiaga (Carter), of large size, the head measuring about•012 and the filament about "009 millim. in diameter.Hah. Glorioso Islands, 7-10 fms.Distribution. N.W. Ceylon, 8 fms. {Bovwrbanl-).13. Dysidea gumminea. (Plate LIII. fig. C.)? Dysidea kirki, pars, Carter, Ann. Sf Mag. N. H. 1881, vii. p. 374,nee Botoerbank.A species bearing a close external resemblance to D. conica.