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Show 496 DR. J. E. GRAY ON SPONGES. [May 9, dia, Pachymatisma, Ecionemia, Alcyoncellum, Polymastia, Haly-physema, Ciocalypta, Tethea, Halicnemia, Dictyocylindrus, Phakellia, Microciona, Hymeraphia, Hymedesmia. 2. Spiculo-mem-branous skeletons : Hymeniacidon. 3. Spiculo-reticulate skeletons : Halichondria, Hyalonema, Isodictya, Spongilla. 4. Spiculo-fibrous skeletons : Desmacidon, Raphyrus. 5. Compound reticulate skeletons : Diplodemia. 6. Solid siliceo-fibrous skeletons: Dactylocalyx. 7. Canaliculated siliceo-fibrous skeletons : Farrea. Order III. KERATOSA. Suborder 1. Solid non-spiculate kerato-fibrous skeletons: Spongia, Spongionella. 2. Solid semispiculate kerato-fibrous skeletons: Halispongia. 3. Solid entirely spiculate kerato-fibrous skeletons : Chalina. 4. Simple fistulo-fibrous skeletons : Verongia. 5. Compound fistulo-fibrous skeletons: Auliskia. 6. Regular semi-areno-fibrous skeletons : Stematumenia, &c. 7. Irregular and entirely areno-fibrous skeletons : Dysidea. This paper contains some most valuable observations on the structure of the skeleton or framework of the different genera, illustrated by excellent figures made under the microscope by Mr. Lens Aldous. Unfortunately the text is encumbered with a most complicated system of terminology, which renders the descriptions very difficult to understand. The names of the suborders quoted above is a good specimen of this. Though this work is preceded by a table of the genera of exotic as well as British sponges known to the author, he does not refer to any of the exotic genera which I have described in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society' from specimens in the Museum Collection. This is the more remarkable as the Museum Collection of Sponges has been frequently studied by the author; indeed I placed it at Dr. Bowerbank's disposal, with the understanding that he would make a monograph of all the species of the family, or they would have been named some years ago. The same arrangement is adopted in his work on 'British Sponges/ published by the Ray Society ; but one or two new genera are added. Dr. Oscar Schmidt, in his ' Spongien des adriatischen Meeres/ Leipzic, 1862, folio, with seven plates, divides the sponges into six families :- 1. Calcispongise. 2. Ceraospongiae. 3. Gumminese. 4. Cor-ticatee. 5. Halichondrise. 6. Halisarcinse. Dr. Oscar Schmidt divides the Calcisjjongiee thus :- I. Form more or less regular. Mouth of tube with simple vertical cilia SYCON. Mouth of tube with vertical and horizontal cilia DUNSTERVILLIA. Mouth of tube without cilia UTE. II. Form of sponge irregular. The wall of the sponge not perforated GRANTIA The wall of the sponge perforated NARDOA. |