sponges. 149 



BOTANY. 



Art. XI. Descriptions of species of Sponges' olserved otj, 

 the shores of Long-Island. By C. S. Rafines^ue, Esq. 



JL HE sponges are one of the most singular productions of 

 nature ; and, even to this time, naturalists are divided in 

 opinion respecting their real rank in the scale of organized 

 beings. Some believe that they are animals, belonging to the 

 class of polyps, next to the genus of alcyonium, while many 

 contend that they are not animals, but plants, of the tribe of 

 fuel, or marine vegetables. I am inclined to adopt this latter 

 opinion, since in all those which I have seen, in Europe and 

 America, no perceptible motion nor sensibility was to be dis- 

 cerned in any stage of their existence ; and those who have 

 acknowledged their animality, bring no stronger proof thereof 

 than an occasional slight shrinking under the hand, and an 

 animal smell, which are common to some marine plants. 



Whatever be the truth on the subject, these doubtful 

 opinions prove that they are of the many connecting links 

 between animals and plants. This is is not a proper place to 

 decide this controversy ; I mean merely to make known new 

 species of this tribe of beings, which 1 observed last year, on 

 the shores of Long-Island. Such a fragment will be, perhaps, 

 the first attempt of the kind ; when more species shall be 

 known, the subject may be investigated with more certainty 

 and accuracy. 



1. Spongia albescens, Raf. (Whitish sponge.) Effuse, 

 compressed, irregular, perforated, . somewhat branched, une- 

 qually lobed, whitish, smooth ; lobes truncated ; cells porosc, 

 very minute, nearly equal ; small unequal cells inside. 



Found near Bath and Gravesend, in sandy bottoms. A 

 large species^ sometimes over a foot broad, of quite an irre- 

 gular shape, rather flattened, about one inch thick ; partly 



