and Physiology of the Spongida. 5 



according to my need, of what others have done before me, just 

 as the devotees of one religion that follows another not only 

 make use of parts of the ritual of the foregoing religion, but 

 also the material of its edifices to aid in promulgating their 

 views, without acknowledging either one or the other. At 

 least, such may be seen in the East ; and the policy of this 

 course is evident and permissible if the means are justified by 

 the end. There is, however, this difference, viz. that I do not 

 omit the acknowledgment from want of inclination, but from 

 want of time and to avoid confusing the reader. 



Further, it should be remembered that this proposed Classi- 

 fication is not to be viewed as a dictionary in which a small 

 amount of preliminary knowledge is required to serve its 

 purpose, nor as a classification that has been undergoing re- 

 vision for centuries. Every one knows that a mariner almost 

 always waits for a pilot to steer his vessel into port ; and so 

 it is with classifications. A general knowledge may enable 

 the student to master the larger divisions, but when he arrives 

 at the smaller ones a much more intimate acquaintance is 

 required to guide him to the object he may wish to obtain. 

 There is no " royal road," as it is termed, to this ; and if, for 

 instance, in an old and continually revised botanical classifica- 

 tion this is necessary, how much more so is it in a classification 

 of which there is only an attempt to lay the foundation. 



Lastly, the subject is actually repulsive from its difficulties (as 

 will be seen hereafter) ; but one who is determined never takes 

 this into consideration : in short, as an old friend used to say 

 to me, " When you are tired, then is the time to exert yourself 

 if you wish to get beyond others ; for this is the point where 

 most people stop, and it is astonishing how little further will 

 then place you at the head of the poll," — which is but 



u Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito." 



SPONGIDA. 



The term " sponge " is so generally accepted and of such 

 great antiquity that it needs no excuse for preference ; but as 

 there are many kinds of sponges which more or less differ 

 from that to which the term " sponge " is commonly applied, 

 it is necessary to add some terminal affix by means of which 

 all kinds may be added under the same name. Thus, if from 

 the Greek word 0-7767709 (sponge) we form a patronymic in the 

 neuter plural, we get " Spongida," which, meaning " Zoa 

 Spongida " (for the animality of sponges is now established), 

 seems to me the best form that can be adopted for this purpose. 



1* 



