5 
the side of the vase, which are the ‘little mouths’’ in this creature, 
partly by the holes in the netted lid at the end. The skeleton 
terminates below in a tuft of spicules by which it is anchored. 
Another group of Sponges, the Horny division contains all the 
kinds used for commercial and domestic purposes as they are free 
from spicules. These sponzes of commerce come from the 
HKastern Mediterranean Sea and the West Indies. In the Archi- 
pelago, Crete, Cyprus, on the coasts of Asia Minor, Syria, Barbary, 
and the Bahama Islands of the West Indies, sponge fisheries 
constitute a very important industry. The finest sponges are 
contained in Turkish waters The fishing season commences in 
May, and closes in September or October, Diving is practised and 
is carried on in a rude, primitive manner. The diver, who has no 
dress, sizes hold of a large stone, to whicha line is attached, and 
sinks by means of it to a depth varying from 30 to 180 feet. 
Keeping hold of the rope, he tears the sponge off the rocks within 
h-s reach, and places it in a net; when he has secured a netful, he 
signals by means of tle rope to be drawn up. A diver usually 
remains under water fron 40-60 seconds. Formerly all the sponges 
gathered in the Archipelago were sent to Smyrna for transhipment 
to England and the continent, but now many cases of sponge are 
shipped direct from the islands themselves. ‘The exports in 1876 
from Rhodes and the Sporades amounted ia value to £140,000; 
from the Cyclades £21,340 and from Smyrna £204,483. The 
fisheries of Cyprus in 1877, yielded 7000lbs. weight of sponges, and 
the exports from Beyrout iu the same year were valued at £8000 
sterling. Sponge of a coarse texture and large honeycombing is 
found all along the coast of Tripoli and Tunis. The total exports 
from the regency of Tunis in 1875 were valued at nearly £11,000. 
The value of sponges exported from Bengazi, Tripoli, amounted i in 
1876 to £55,000. The West Indian trade is annually increasing, 
and the fishing industry gives employment to 500 vessels and 
2,000 persons. The Bahamas and the coast of Florida are the 
fishing grounds, and Cuba will probably soon join them. In this 
part of the world, the sponges are obtained by spearing with a 
pronged tork fixed to a long pole. In 1877, nearly 3,000 cwts. of 
sponge were exported to New York, Canada, and England, from 
the Bahamas. Wool, glove, grass, aud yellow sponge are all shown 
on the table, with other varieties. 
To turn again to Euplectella for a few moments. Many years 
ago, when Paley wrote his ‘‘ Evidences of Christianity” one of the 
strong arguments used by him to prove the existence of a Creator, 
an all-wise Supreme Being was Teleology, or the doctrine of Design 
as shown in the works of nature. Since the appearance of the 
Origin of Species by Darwin, 27 years ago, scientific men haye been 
