MAEENZELLEE EAISING OF SPONGES FEOM CUTTINGS. 775 



which I shall now describe, and which he preferred to all others be- 

 cause the cuttings were exposed on all sides to the sea water and 

 assumed the favorite round form. This apparatus consisted of two 

 boards, C3 centimeters long and 40 centimeters broad, one forming the 

 bottom and the other the lid. Both were kept in a parallel position, one 

 above the other, at a distance of about 42 centimeters, by two props 

 about 11 centimeters distant from each other, between which stones 

 may be placed as ballast. On the outer side of the lid there was a 

 handle. Both boards had holes at a distance of 12 centimeters from 

 each other; the total number of holes in each board, therefore, being 24. 

 Mr. Buccich did not fasten the pieces of sponge singly to the apparatus, 

 but he placed several of them on one peg and then stuck the pegs in 

 the holes. For these pegs he used bamboo, whose hard smooth bark 

 defies all attacks of worms. These pegs were 42 centimeters long and 

 perforated horizontally, the holes being at the distance of 12 centimeters 

 from each other, and the lower end was split. Three pieces of sponge 

 were put oh each peg and pushed up high enough to be above the 

 horizontal holes, through which a wooden peg was pushed, thus fully 

 securing the sponges. 



K the pieces of sponge are simply to be fastened with wooden pegs 

 a three-cornered stiletto will suffice for making the holes in the sponges, 

 but when they are to be strung up on pegs this or any similar instru- 

 ment cannot be used, because too great a pressure would have to be 

 exercised to make a sufficiently large opening for the passage of the 

 pegs. Any pressure will to some degree injure the sponges, and to limit 

 its extent or force as much as possible should be the first object. Mr. 

 Buccich bored the holes with a trepan 6 millimeters wide, fastened to a ver- 

 tical turning-table, which was kept in rapid motion by a fly-wheel. One 

 hand pressed the sponge lightly against the trepan, the other turned the 

 wheel, and the operation was finished in a few seconds. The hole in 

 this manner is perfectly smooth, none of the fibers have been pulled 

 out, and none of the sarcode has flowed out. As soon as a peg has 

 been furnished with sponge-cuttings, its split end is stuck in one of the 

 holes of the apparatus and a wedge is driven through the crack. As 

 lid and bottom hold 24 pegs, each with three cuttings apiece, such an 

 apparatus can hold 144 cuttings. During this whole process the sponges 

 should be continually moistened with sea- water, especially during sum- 

 mer. As soon as an apparatus has been filled, it should immediately 

 be let down into the water if the temperature is high, while in winter 

 a delay will not prove injurious. The letting down and raising of the 

 apparatus had best be done by means of a small anchor, and they 

 should be let down to a depth of 5-7 meters. Mr. Buccich does not con- 

 sider it necessary to have the apparatus suspended from a sort of scaf- 

 folding. All the wood- work should be well tarred, as this will prove the 

 only, though by no means always efficient, protection against worms. 

 The Teredo does not only cause an increase in the capital to be employed, 



