MrcroGRApata, 
great holes or pores obfervable in thefé Sponges’ were made by the eri: 
ption of the’ included Heterogeneous fub{tance (whether air, or fome 
other body, for many other fluid bodies will do the fame thing) which’ 
breaking out of the leffer, were collected into very large bubbles, and 
fo might make their way out of the Sponge, and intheir paflage' might 
leave a round cavity ; and if it were large,might carry up with it'the ad~ 
jacent bubbles, which may be perceiv'd’at the outfide of the Sponge, if 
it befirft throughly wetted, and fuffer'd to plumpit felf into its natural 
form, or be then wrung dry, and fuffer’d to aaid? it felf again, which it 
will freely do whilft moift: for when it has thus plump’d it felf into its 
natural fhape and dimenfions, ‘tis obvious enough that the mouths of the’ 
larger holes have a kind of lip or rifing round about'them, but the othet’ 
fmaller pores have little or none. It may further bé found, that each of 
thefe great pores has many other {mall pores below, that are united tnto 
it, abe help to conftitute it, almoft like fo many rivulets or {mall ftréams 
that contribute to the maintenance of a large River. | Nor from this 
Hypothefis would it have’ been difficult to explicate, how thofe little 
branches of Cora/, {mal Stones, shel/s, and the like, come to be included: 
by theft frothy bodies : But this inded was but a conjecture ; and upon 
amore accurate enquiry into the form of it withthe A&@crofcope, it feems 
not to be the true origine of them; for whereas Sponges have onely 
three'arms which join together at each knot, if they had been generated’ 
fron bubbles they muft have had four. Ht 10 ae 
~ But that they are Animal Subftances, the Chymical examination of 
them fees to manifeft, they affording a volatil Salt and {piri like Harts- 
Horn, as does alfo their great ftrength and toughnefs, and their fmell 
when burn’d in the Fire ot a Candle, which has a kind of flefhy fent,not 
much unlike to hair. And having fince examin’d feveral Authors con- 
cerning them,among others,I find this account given by BeVonivs, in the 
XI. Chap. of his 24 Book, De Aquatilibus. Spongia recentes, fays he, a.ficcis 
longe diverfe,{copulis aque marine ad duos vel tres cubits peieta aia, 
tuor tantum digitos immerfis, ut fungi arboribus adherent, fordido quo 
Sicco ant mucofa potius fanie referte,nfqne aded fetida,ut vel eminus naufean 
excitet, continetur autem iis cavernis, quas inanes in ficcis & lotis Spongias 
cerniums : Putris pulmonis modo nigra confpiciuntur, verum qua in fub limit 
aque nafcuntur multo magis opaca nigredine fuffufe Sunt. Vivere quidem 
Spongias adberendo Ariftoteles cenfét : abfolute vero minime: Senjumane 
aliquerz habere, vel eo arguinento (inquit) credantur, quod difficillime ab- 
Srakantur niff clanculum agatur: Atq; ad avulforis accefum ita contr abantur's 
ut cas evellere difficile fit, quod idem etiam faciunt quoties flats tempefta- 
téfque Fike Puto autem ills fuccum fordidum quem fupra (diximws car+ 
nis 
quath inteflinis aut interancis uti. Caterum pars ea qua Spongie caittibas 
adbarent ft tanquave folii petiolus, 4 quo veluti collum polde 
cipit : quod deinde in latitudinem diff nfum capitis globum facit, Recentibus 
nihil eff Sftulofune, hafitantque tanquam radicibus, Superne ommes pr opemo~ 
dum meats Concreti lavent : inferme verd quaterni aut quid patent, per gh 
Sin | v 
137 
natura attributum fuiffe : atque meatibws latioribus tan- 
