BY DR. R. VOX LENDENFELD. 125 



An essay of a much higher scientific standing than any of those 

 mentioned above, and where we for the first time meet with higher 

 philosophical ideas, was published by Donati (17), in 1750. 



According to Donati, there exists in natm'e a continuous series of 

 living beings, so that the animal and vegetable kingdom are not 

 separated. In his book" he lets the " Polipari " containing the 

 sponges follow on the plants, they form the " primo grado con cui 

 la Natura fa passagia in Mare dalle Piante agli Animali." 



The second grade are the " Piantianimali," which are divided 

 into three groups. 



He describes some sponges very accurately, and mentions for the 

 first time the existence of spicules, " spine di sostanza 



d' osso." Rnmpf (18), describes some sponges from the Banda 

 sea, but it is not possible to identify them with our North Aus- 

 tralian sponges with any certainty. Only one, his "Nidus 

 vesparum marinus" I shall probably be able to identify with one 

 of them. 



After Peyssonel (19) and others had been induced by worms 

 and other animals, which sometimes live in sponges, to believe that 

 they were produced by these commensales, Ellis (20) examined 

 living sponges in an Aquarium, and discovered that these animals 

 had nothing to do with the sponge, and that the sponges were 

 animals sui generis. 



Besides this, Ellis (I.e.) discovered, that currents of sea water 

 passed through the body of the sponge ; " when we examined these 

 in glasses of sea water, we could plainly observe these little tubes 

 to receive and pass the water too and and fro." These openings 

 he took for the mouths of the sponge. There is therefore no doubt 

 that he is the discoverer of the Pores and Oscula, and their func- 

 tions. 



(17). V. Donati. Delia storia naturale marina dtlV Adriatko. Saggio. 

 Venezia, 1750 



(18). G. E. Rumpf. Herbar, Amban. Tom. VI. Amstselodami, 1750. 



(19). T. A. Peyssonel. New observations on the worms that form sponges. 

 Philosophical Transactions. Vol. L., 2 (1758), p. 590. 



(20). T. Ellis. On the Nature and formation of Sponges. Philosophical 

 Transactions. Vol. LV. (1766) p. 2S0. 



