44 



The first or most highly valued of these forms, known 

 commercially as the finest Levant or Turkish cup-sponge, 

 is distinguished by its usually cup-shaped contour and the 

 exceedingly fine elastic and densely interwoven character 

 of its component fibres. Its finest growths are obtained 

 from the Levant and off the coasts of Syria and Tripoli. 

 Poorer qualities of this type are gathered further westward 

 and up the eastern shores of the Adriatic. The bath or 

 honeycomb sponge (S. equina) has a more extensive range 

 throughout the Levant, along the north coast of Africa as 

 far as Gibraltar ; it is to be recognised by its more sub- 

 spheroidal form, the absence of distinctly radiating pri- 

 mary fibres, and the irregular honeycomb-like excavations 

 of its entire substance. The third form, the Zimocca or 

 Hard Sponge {S. agaricind) varies usually from a flattened 

 saucer shaped to an elevated, irregular nodular outline with 

 large oscular openings distributed at even distances upon 

 its upper surface. The fibre is closely interwoven, much 

 resembling that of the cup-shaped Levant variety ; but its 

 texture is much less elastic and is relatively hard and 

 unyielding to the touch ; it is confined almost exclusively 

 to the eastern extremity of the Mediterranean, and occurs 

 also in a coarser form in the northern portions of the Red 

 Sea. 



Turning now to the American series as typified by the 

 commercial sponges of the best quality obtained from the 

 Bahama Islands, it is found that they likewise may be 

 grouped around three specific or sub-specific forms that 

 correspond very closely with the three leading Mediterra- 

 nean types above described. It has at the same time, 

 however, to be observed that none of these, as so far 

 obtained, are considered by experts to be equal in quality 

 to their Mediterranean congeners. Mr. Alpheus Hyatt, the 



