MARENZELLER RAISING OF SPONGES FROM CUTTINGS. 777 



over, is not so simple that every fisherman could easily construct it him- 

 self, for experience has shown that "wood, which would he the easiest 

 material for working, cannot be used on account of the ravages of the 

 teredo. As far as our present knowledge goes, it is certain that sponge- 

 culture will not be profitable for poor men, but that it can only be car- 

 ried on successfully on a very large scale cither by wealthy individuals 

 or by joint-stock companies. It would be very encouraging to know 

 more concerning the progressive development of the sponge in its nat- 

 ural condition, and especially to know that this development was just 

 as slow as that of the cuttings. Prof. O. Schmidt inclined to this opin- 

 ion. But if it should prove erroneous it would be more than questiona- 

 ble whether it is profitable to cut to pieces a sponge which uncut would 

 have quicker reached the same size and weight than all the cuttings to- 

 gether in seven years. Under such circumstances sponge-culture had 

 better be confined to the transformation of flat and therefore worthless 

 sponges into round ones, which, though small, Would find a ready market. 

 Possibly several, especially misshaped, pieces of sponge might be made 

 to grow together and form larger and better formed "ones. The experi- 

 ments made by Cavolini and Mr. Buccich's own above-mentioned exper- 

 ience show that there is no difficulty in doing this. 

 Vienna, December, 1878. 



