TRANSLATION. 
On Morite PHENOMENA in SponGeEs. By N. Linseexian, 
(Abstracted from ‘Reichert and Du Bois-Reymond’s 
Archiy.), 1863, p. 717). 
Tue motile phenomena hitherto observed in sponges are 
connected with larger or smaller portions of the external inte- 
gument and of the exhalent tubules, or with isolated cells. 
When the exhalent tubules of Spongilla contract, their walls be- 
come shortened and thickened, and the previously smooth 
surface uneven, from the presence of the spherical contracted 
cells, whose outlines at the same time are rendered very 
distinct, whilst they were before invisible, or, at most, here and 
there indistinctly perceptible. This contraction may proceed 
so far as to give the entire tubule the appearance of a mass of 
cells. The external membrane with which the sponge is 
covered exhibits its contractile property most clearly when 
separated to some distance from the substance of the body ; on 
contracting, it either approaches nearer, or applies itself closely 
to, the subjacent parts, whilst the inhalent orifices open and 
close. Other motile phenomena are witnessed when a Spon- 
gilla with external membrane and exhalent canals is pro- 
duced from a cut-off portion. The fragment thus cut off 
may be so thin as to consist of only a single layer of reti- 
cular parenchymatous fibres. The interstitial rounded, oval, 
or irregular spaces, under these circumstances, become for 
the most part closed, owing to the gradual increase in breadth 
of the trabeculz ; or cavities may be left when their mem- 
branes are stretched over them only from the upper and 
under sides of the trabecule, which enclose a space between 
them, and may become portions of the outer membrane, 
with exhalent canals. It cannot be determined with cer- 
tainty to what extent this change of form is connected 
with any multiplication of cells. Lastly, movements in the 
individual cells have been noticed, the globular cells having 
