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

582SPONGIIDA.BYSTUART 0. ETDLEY.The collections of Sponges made during the latter part of the ' Alert's 'voyage, although not so important from the number of species orthe interest attaching to the new forms as those made in Australianwaters, constitute nevertheless, considering the extent towhich these waters have been the subject of previous investigations(see Introduction to Melanesian <strong>Report</strong>, p. 371) and the somewhatless favourable circumstances under which Dr. Coppinger carried onhis collecting, an invaluable contribution to our knowledge of theSpongiida of the Indian Ocean. On the latter point :— Dr. Coppinger,in a letter dated Sheerness, Sept. 11, 1882, says " The latter partof the ' Alert's ' commission has been devoted to a hurried surveyof the Amirante Islands and of two other small groups Thetime at our disposal has been so short that we have had comparativelyfew opportunities of doing anything in the way of dredging.What little has been done in the localities has been accomplishedfrom the ship itself, by laying out a dredge from the stern at everyanchorage and giving it the benefit of the swing of the ship. AtSeychelles, where we stopped to take in coals &c., we dredged severaltimes from the boats ; but at all the other stations our dredgingoperationshave been limited to the swing of the ship about heranchor. I mention this to account for the scantiness of the collec--tion of dredged specimens from a region whose fauna is undoubtedlyso rich. I have, however, had plenty of occupation for my sparetime in exploring the beaches and reefs at times of low water, andhave therefore been al)le to accumulate a good number of marinespecimens from between tide-marks," In spite of difficulties, Dr. Coppingersent 56 species belonging to this group, including 21 speciesnot previously distinguished by naturalists. Many of the species arerepresented by fine series from various localities : and fortunately thegenus Carterispongia, hitherto so imperfectly known, comes underthis category, furnishing a most important contribution to thematerial available for the distinction of its species, and for the studyof the interesting question of polymorphism of Sponges, so wellillustrated by this genus.Distrihution.—This is perhaps the most important aspect underwhich this Collection is to be regarded, I have arranged the localitiesfor convenience under five heads, viz,:— 1. Mozambique Island (as