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Show 494 DR. J. E. GRAY ON SPONGES. [May 9, pronged or three-hooked elongate spicules are characteristic of the Geodiadce and Tethyadee. The anchorate and birotulate spicules and other forms of the series are almost peculiar to the family Esperiadee. The six-rayed stars, often divided at the ends, are peculiar to the Euplectellidee and Dactylocalycidce. The four-rayed stars, with elongate simple rays, to the Carteria. Dr. Bowerbank has described and figured a large number of the forms of spicules, and the manner in which they are arranged in the different families and genera, in the ' Philosophical Transactions ' for 1858, p. 274, and 1862, p. 747. The whole of these plates have been rather coarsely copied in his ' Monograph of the British Spongiadee,' published by the Ray Society for 1864. And Prof. Oscar Schmidt has also given some excellent figures of the spicules in his work on the 'Adriatic Sponges,' and the two Supplements to that work, 1862 and 1866. Various systems for arranging sponges have been proposed. The following are the most important:- M. Ducrotay de Blainville, in his ' Manuel d'Actinologie ou de Zoophytologie,' 8vo, 1834, forms the sponges into a group he calls LES AMORPHOZOAIRES (Amorphozoa), containing the genera: - 1. Alcyoncellum (Alcyoncella in index). 2. Spongia. 3. Calci-spongia. 4. Halispongia. 5. Spongilla. 6. Geodia. 7. Ccelop-tychium. 8. Siphonia. 9. Myrmecium. 10. Scyphia. 11. Eudea. 12. Hallirhoa. 13. Hippalimus. 14. Cnemidium. 15. Lym-norea. 16. Chenendopora. 17. Tragos. 18. Manion. 19. Terea. 20. Tethium. The names in italics have only been found in the fresh state. He places Cliona of Dr. Grant with the Zoophytaires sarcinoi'des, or Alcyonaires (Alcyonaria). G. D. Nardo has published "Auszug aus einem neuen System der Spongiarien (Spongiariorum Classificatio) " in the 'Isis,' 1833, p. 520, and " De Spongiis," ' Isis,' 1832, p. 714, in which he divides sponges into three orders :- I. Spongiaria fulcimentis natura cornea. 1. Spongia. 2. Ircinia (Sp. cavernosa, Linn. ?). 3. Aplysia. II. Spongiaria fulcimentis natura silicea, aculeiformibus aut et substantia; animalis ope vario modo coalitis. 1. Grantia (Sp. canabina, Esper; Sp. lamia, Sp. damicornis, and Sp. lactuca, Esper, not Johnst.). 2. Raspalia (Sp. dichotoma', Link). 3. Donatia (Sp. lyncurium, Sp. cydonium). 4. Rayneria. 5. Esperia. 6. Suberites (Ale. domuncula and A. ficus). 7. Lita-mena. III. Spongiaria fulcimentis natura calcarea, etc. 1. Strangia = Alcyonium arboreum, Linn. 2. Vioa = Alcyonium asbestinum, Linn. |
