•2(J8 REMARKS ON THE 



(16) From a series of experiments, and some of them the 

 same as those detailed in the preceding pages, which I have 

 again undertaken upon several masses of the Spongilla since 

 this paper was communicated to the Royal Society, I am now 

 obliged to confess, that I have no doubt whatever regarding 

 the vegetahility of this kind oi freshwater sponge. 



(17) Chemistry will, I am sure, present us with some very 

 good tests whereby to decide the vegetability or animality of 

 the Spongice marincB ; and amongst other chemical re- 

 searches to be hereafter instituted, the application of acids 

 and alkalies to the colouring matter, or to the colours, when 

 expressed from many species which exhibit the brightest and 

 most brilliant tints, will tend, in a satisfactory manner, to- 

 wards the solution of that doubtful point. 



(18) Vide ' Hist, des Polyp. Coral. Flex.,' p. 15. I find 

 that even in the Mediterranean Sea, the colours of the differ- 

 ent species of Spongia, when fresh and living, are exceedingly 

 bright and numerous ; among them the following may be 

 enumerated : — pale yellow, yellowish-white, white, red brown, 

 dark brown, red wine, rose-grey, reddish, violet, blue, sul- 

 phur, grey, yellow-grey, russet, pink or flesh-coloured, pur- 

 ple, chestnut, reddish-white, saffron-yellow, orange, coral red, 

 &c. See p. 371 — 380, tom. 5, 'Hist. Nat. des Principales 

 Productions de I'Europe Meridionale,' par A. Risso : Paris, 

 1826. And it may be interesting to add, that green is also a 

 colour observable in some of the sea sponges ; for example, 

 in the Spongia urceolus, of Lamouroux. 



Temple y Loudon, May 9, 1840. 



Art. III. — Remarks on the Lepidoptera of M'orth America, with 

 occasional descriptions of New Species ; being the result of nine- 

 teen months travel in the United States. By Edward Double- 

 day, Esq. 



(Continued from page 2\Q.) 



For about six miles from its mouth, the St. John's presents 

 on its shores little but snow-white sands, and dreary salt 

 marshes. A few low huts, the houses of the pilots, a light- 

 house, a hammock of dead trees,* a few starved-looking 

 cows (you wonder what they live on), two or three miserable 



» Killed by being overflowed by the sea, in the gale of August, 1837. 



