1885.] NEW YOIiK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 37 



substance, which is the flesh of the sponge." This is the best 

 answer one can give to-(hiy to a non-professional person wlio asks, 

 What is a sponge? His subsequent details are still more to the 

 purpose, and sliow how completely he appreciated the exact 

 nature of these forms. 



Ellis came to be considerably incensed at the persistent igno- 

 rance that existed in spite of his absolute demonstration. He 

 wrote to Linnaeus: " Artful people may puzzle the vulgar, and tell 

 them that tlie more hairy a man is, and the longer his nails grow 

 he is more of a vegetable than a man who shaves his hair and 

 cuts his nails." 



In 1G26, Peter Castellano writes, in his " Commentaries on 

 Marine Objects," under the heads Echini and Urticariw; the 

 latter embracing the sea-jellies, MediiscB, and the few Actinice 

 then known. 



In 1634, a taste for natural history reached England. The 

 Theatruni Insectorum, oi Mouffet, was the first zoological work 

 published in Great Britain. Mouffet was physician to the Earl 

 of Pembroke, and made the insects his special object of study. 

 The cuts are poor, and the work generally of little account. 

 Kysch, in 1718, Thealrum Animalium Universale Omnium, 

 treats of sea-stars, insects, nereids, spiders, crustaceans, illus- 

 trated on copper plate. The figures are large and tolerable, but are 

 copies from the great "fish book" of 1575, alluded to antea. 

 The term Urtica is used as a sort of family name for Actinia, 

 evidently from the generally prevailing prickly nature of these 

 forms. 



Works in natural history were, up to this time, published in 

 Latin. Such subjects were supposed to be interesting to physi- 

 cians and ecclesiastical persons only. Subjects of physiology 

 and anatomy, as well as materia medica, were natural accom- 

 paniments. 



The title pages of some of the old folios are embellished by 

 full-size engravings on copper, surrounded by emblems of high 

 ecclesiastic rank; and these were often of tlie highest style of 

 art seen in any day. The great expense attending the publica- 

 tion of such works was often borne by high State otficials. 



In 1658, Edward T'opsel, an ecclesiastic of St. Botolph's, in 

 England, published in English the notable books of Gesner, which 

 contained the entire amount of natural history learning of the 

 day, and also Moulfet's work. At this time Count Maurice of 

 Nassau, commanding a Dutch armament which took the Bra- 

 zilian provinces from the arm of Portugal, took with him the 

 naturalist Marcgrave, then an enthusiastic young student of 

 zoology. Everything that could further the study of those 

 regions was provided. To this munificent patron the world is 



