﻿37 
  

  

  is 
  no 
  (i")ubt 
  however 
  about 
  Mieii- 
  existence 
  in 
  some 
  other 
  

   parts 
  of 
  tlie 
  bay. 
  Slipper 
  limpets 
  Were 
  frequently 
  ob- 
  

   served 
  adherent 
  to 
  the 
  outside 
  of 
  oyster 
  shells, 
  tlie 
  only 
  

   species 
  thou^'h. 
  which 
  T 
  observed, 
  was 
  the 
  one 
  called 
  

   Crepidula 
  (jlauva. 
  The 
  unrijje 
  eggs 
  of 
  this 
  animal 
  have 
  

   a 
  very 
  remarkable 
  structure, 
  the 
  nucleus 
  containing 
  a 
  

   large 
  and 
  very 
  refringent 
  nucleolus 
  which 
  looks 
  like 
  

   two 
  spheres 
  partially 
  fused 
  together, 
  from 
  this 
  body 
  to 
  

   the 
  walls 
  of 
  the 
  nucleus 
  granular 
  protoplasmic 
  lines 
  ex- 
  

   tend 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  irregular 
  radiating 
  manner. 
  These 
  gran- 
  

   ular 
  lines 
  sway 
  and 
  twist 
  about 
  while 
  the 
  fresh 
  ^^^^ 
  is 
  

   viewed 
  under 
  the 
  nucroscope, 
  like 
  a 
  spider 
  s 
  web, 
  which 
  

   may 
  be 
  supposed 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  endowed 
  with 
  life 
  and 
  the 
  

   power 
  of 
  moving 
  any 
  part 
  of 
  itself. 
  E. 
  Van 
  Beneden 
  

   and 
  O. 
  Hertwig 
  tigure 
  very 
  sinular 
  immature 
  ova 
  oc(Mir- 
  

   ring 
  in 
  other 
  animals. 
  

  

  A 
  number 
  of 
  sponges 
  were 
  observed 
  ; 
  all 
  of 
  tliem 
  sili- 
  

   ceous; 
  s<mie 
  of 
  them 
  incrusting 
  stones 
  and 
  oyster 
  shells, 
  

   others 
  were 
  branching 
  or 
  massive 
  and 
  usually 
  of 
  a 
  yel- 
  

   low, 
  yellowish 
  or 
  dirty 
  white 
  color, 
  exce})t 
  simie 
  leather 
  

   sponges 
  [Geodia?) 
  which 
  were 
  purplisli 
  and 
  anchored 
  in 
  

   a 
  most 
  remarkable 
  manner 
  to 
  the 
  bottom. 
  The 
  red- 
  

   spongv, 
  Microciona 
  proliferuin 
  is 
  very 
  common, 
  but 
  the 
  

   species 
  which 
  most 
  concei-ns 
  the 
  oyster 
  culturist 
  is 
  the 
  

   boring 
  sponge, 
  the 
  substance 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  dee^D 
  orange 
  in 
  

   color. 
  The 
  boring 
  sponges, 
  CI 
  i 
  once, 
  are 
  very 
  destructive, 
  

   but 
  whether 
  they 
  really 
  destroy 
  many 
  living 
  oysters 
  in 
  

   this 
  country 
  is 
  probably 
  not 
  ascertained. 
  That 
  they 
  can 
  

   effect 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  

   from 
  the 
  following 
  which 
  I 
  published 
  over 
  a 
  year 
  and 
  a 
  

   half 
  ago 
  elsewhere.* 
  "In 
  a 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  

   ^''Ostrea 
  virginiana, 
  recently 
  handed 
  me 
  for 
  examina- 
  

   "tion 
  by 
  my 
  friend 
  Mr. 
  John 
  Ford, 
  the 
  substance 
  of 
  the 
  

   "shell 
  was 
  thoroughly 
  cavernated 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  rendei' 
  it 
  ex- 
  

   "tremely 
  brittle 
  and 
  readily 
  crushed: 
  in 
  fact 
  the 
  inner 
  

   "table 
  of 
  the 
  shell 
  left 
  standing 
  showed 
  a 
  great 
  number 
  

  

  *On 
  the 
  Destructive 
  Nature 
  of 
  the 
  Boring 
  Sponge, 
  etc. 
  Am. 
  Naturalist, 
  XUI. 
  1879, 
  p. 
  281. 
  

  

  