SPONGES FROM COASTAL BEACHES OF N 8 WALES — WHITELEGGE. 57 



It will be seen from the preceding remarks that there are certain 

 commercial sponges in our coastal waters, and that others are 

 procurable from North and West Australia ; possibly a supply- 

 might also be obtained from the various Pacific islands. 



In prospecting for useful sponges, many preliminary details 

 would have to be carefully attended to: such as ascertaining the 

 best localities for obtaining them, the habit, size, and colour, 

 and the depth and situations in which they occur. If a 

 favourable sponge ground were located, it would be necessary to 

 select a series of living examples, some for preservation in the 

 flesh, and others to be macerated and made into skeletons, so that 

 any given species or variety could be easily recognised in either 

 condition, by comparison with well prepared specimens. 



When a thorough knowledge of the habitat and characteristics 

 of any useful sponge is acquired, means might be taken to ensure 

 its increase both in size and in number of the individuals. This 

 could be accomplished by the judicious weeding of the ground, 

 and removing all organisims which might enter into competition 

 with the sponge for food, or interfere with its growth in any way ; 

 while at the same time such weeded spaces would afford opportuni- 

 ties for young sponges to settle down under favorable conditions, 

 provided the weeding process did not actually diminish the number 

 of organisms which contribute to the nutrition of the sponge : the 

 latter phase of the question can only be decided by practical 

 experiments. 



Young specimens, attached to small stones or other objects, 

 might be transplanted to positions that would favour rapid growth, 

 either on the spot, or to remote localities, if proper means were 

 taken to protect the sponge against injury in transit. The trans- 

 planting of living sponges has been successfully accomplished in 

 various parts of the world, and the possibility of cultivating them 

 artifically and profitably fairly proved. The results of these 

 cultural experiments have been published, and the following is a 

 brief summary of the contents of some of the reports on the 

 subject: — 



According to Mr. E. J. Allen,- Filippo Cavolina pointed out in 

 the year 1785 that sponges could be transplanted from their 

 original place of attachment, and that they were "capable of 

 fixing themselves and continuing their growth." 



In 1862, Prof. Oscar Schmidt called attention to the fact "that 

 if a perfectly fresh sponge is cut into suitable pieces, and if these 

 pieces, properly protected, are again placed in the sea, they will 

 grow and finally develop into complete sponges. 



2 Allen — "Report on the Sponge Fishery of Florida, and the Artificial 

 Culture of Sponges," Journ. Mar. Biol. Asscc. United Kingdom, (n.s ), iv., 

 1896, pp. 18S-194. 



