XXIII. 



THE SPONGE FISHERY AND TRADE. 

 By RICHARD RATHBUN. 



(a) THE COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE OF SPONGES. 

 1. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE SPONGE INDUSTRY. 



The sponge trade of the United States is very extensive, aud supplies are obtaiaed from all 

 the principal sponge-producing regions of the world, not the least important of which is the coast 

 of Florida. 



As previously described,* all of the various grades of commercial sponges belong to a single 

 genus, called Nponyia, and, according to an eminent authority on the subject, may be divided 

 into four natural species, including at least nine sub-species and a great number of varieties. One 

 of these species, the Spongia graminea, an inferior grade of the grass sponges, is peculiar to 

 Florida, but the other three species are common to both the Old World and the American grounds 

 They are as follows: Spongia ofiicinalis, including the Levant toilet sponge and the Turkey cup 

 sponge of the east, and the glove sponge of Florida aud the Bahamas ; Spongia equina, containing 

 the horse sponge, the Venetian bath sponge and the Gherbis sponge of the Mediterranean, aud 

 the noted sheepswool sponge, the velvet sponge, and a portion of the grass sponges of American 

 waters; Spongia aqaricina, including the Mediterranean Zimocca sponge, and the American yel- 

 low sponge and *' hard head." 



The several varieties of sponges, based upon differences in structure, and the numerous qual- 

 ities, resulting in part from the diverse influences of environment during growth, have given rise to 

 the many commercial grades, according to which sponges are classified and sold in the markets. 

 The Florida grades, strangely enough, have never been increased in number above the six sub. 

 species recognized by naturalists as belonging to that region, and they are designated under five 

 names the same term, grass sponge, having been applied to two of the subspecies. These grades^ 

 arranged about in the order of their value, are as follows : Sheepswool, velvet, yellow, grass, aud 

 glove. The sheepswool sponges are by far the finest in texture of any of the American grades , 

 but the relative qualities of the other grades are not always clearly defined; at least the dealers 

 differ greatly in their opinions regarding them, and the market quotations do not always place 

 them in the same order. The Bahama sponges, although identical subspeciticaUy with the 

 Florida, and including the same five principal grades, are still further subdivided, making a total 

 of about fifteen grades recognized by the Now York dealers. The secondary divisions are based 



" Section I, of this report, Part V, 



819 



