THE LIVING SPONGE. 53 



as to bring one of the apertures of the sponge fully 

 into view, he beheld for the first time, he says, "the 

 splendid spectacle of this living fountain, giving 

 forth, from a circular cavity, an impetuous torrent 

 of liquid matter, and hurling along in rapid succes- 

 sion opaque masses, which it strewed everywhere 

 around. The beauty and novelty of such a scene in 

 the animal kingdom long arrested my attention, but 



ACTION OF A LIVING SPONGE. 



The water appears discharged downwards. 



after twenty-five minutes of constant observation, 

 I was obliged to withdraw my eye, from fatigue, 

 without having seen the torrent, for one instant, 

 change its direction or diminish in the slightest 

 degree the rapidity of its course. I continued to 



