BOOK IX. Lxix. i49-L.\x. 151 



have been pulled ofFthe rocks, and that fresh sponges 

 grow again on the rocks from the roots left there ; 

 also the colour of blood remains on them, especially 

 on the African ones that grow on the Sandbanks." 

 Very large but very soft thin sponges grow round 

 Lycia, though those in deep and calm water are 

 softer; the rough kind grows in the Dardanelles, 

 and the close-textm^ed round Cape Malea. Sponges 

 decay in sunny places, and consequently the best 

 are found in deep pools. Live sponges have the same 

 blackish colour as sponges in use have when wet. 

 They do not cHng to the rock with a particular part 

 nor with their entire surface, for they have certain 

 empty tubes, about four or five in number, running 

 through them, through which it is believed that they 

 take their food. They also have other tubes, but 

 these are closed at the upper end ; and it is under- 

 stood that there is a sort of thin skin on the under 

 side of their roots. It is estabUshed that they hve 

 a long time. The worst of all the species of sponge 

 is one called in Greek the dirty* sponge, because it 

 cannot be cleaned ; it contains large tubes, and 

 the rest of it is of a very close texture 



LXX. The number of dog-fish specially swarming Dmngfor 

 round sponges beset the men that dive for them with Xwct^o}'^' 

 grave danger. These persons also report that a sort dog-jish. 

 of ' cloud ' <^ thickens above their heads — this a hve 

 creature resembUng flat-fish — pressing them down 

 and preventing them from getting back, and that 

 because of this they have very sharp spikes attached 

 to cords, because the ' clouds ' will not withdraw 

 unless stabbed through in this way — this story being 

 the result, as I beUeve, of darkness and fear; for 

 nobody has ever heard of any such creature in the 



265 



