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

SPONGIIBA.G2955. Leucortis anguinea *.(Plate LIII. fig. L; Plate LIV. figs, d, d.)Erect, branched; stem and branches cylindrical, tubnlar. (Yentopening probably at end of tube and nearly as wide as tube.)Branches given off at angle of about 140° with each other. Wall•25 to -35 millim. thick ; lumen of tube '8 to 1-2 millim. in diameter.Outer and inner surfaces even, smooth. Consistence in spirit elastic,compressible (colour probably white or grey naturally, at presentpale purple, probably derived from other sponges). Skeleton mainlycomposed of triradiate spicules ; those (1) of outer surface sagittal,with large facial angle, viz. 150° to 170°, the distal three fourths ofthe lateral rays being, in the latter case, bent back so as to benearly in a line with each other ; basal ray about •28 millim. long,laterals -16 to ^22, diameter of rays at base •OlS to -019 millim.Surface triradiates occasionally provided with a short stout apicalray. (2) Triradiates of inner and central part of wall eithersagittal, with facial angle of about 140°, the rays as inthe surfacespicules,or subregular, the angles being about 120° each and thelateral rays slightly unequal ; in both cases the lengths and diametersof the rays as in the surface-spicules. Eays of triradiates, exceptin the case above mentioned, almost straight, tapering from base topoint. (3) Linear spicules of general body- wall, stout, fusiform,acerate, slightly curved, tapering equally to similarly sharp pointsat both ends; size -65 by '032 millim.; scattered singly at rightangles to surface, points not projecting except at peristome slightly.(4) Fine acerate ? of peristome, length probably about ^22 millim.,thickness -0032 millim. ; closely aggregated at outer surface, at rightangles to surface (the inner end is sharp, the outer end has not beenobserved). Canals leading from cloacal cavity small : chambers ofcanal-system small, inconspicuous. Spicides of centre of wall denselyaggregated.Hab. Providence Reef, Mascarene group, 24 fms, ; bottom, sandand dead coral.A single specimen, imperfect at both extremities, represents thespecies. It is 25 millim. in height, and consists of a short commonstem and of two branches, little inferior to the stem in diameter, oneof them even increasing in diameter towards its termination.From the occurrence of the fine linear spicules in some of the firstsections which were made it is inferred that they were from a peristome,which was probably almost as wide as the tube and had aslight fringe. The occurrence of a few quadriradiates has beenobserved also in the only species assigned by Hackel to the genus,viz. L. lyulvinar, Hackel; and thus, if Haekel's terms were employed,this specimen would be distinguishable as a " connectingvariety " under the name Leucandra ayiguincus. This species ismarkedly distinct from L. pidvinar in its slender form, in therelatively small size of the acerate spicules of the body-wall, and in* Atlguineus, snake-like, from the elongate pliable character of the specimens.