124 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, [18] 



suddenly in immense hordes, and, without warning, destroy thousands of 

 dollars' worth of oysters. The greatest destruction occurs in the latter 

 part of summer and the fall, after the spawning season of the Star-fish. 

 Dredges, beam-trawls, and tangles have been employed to rid the beds 

 of these pests, and in many places large sums are expended annually in 

 keeping the beds free from this most dreaded enemy. 



SPONGES. 



The American Sponge fishery is now a well-established industry of 

 considerable importance, and gives employment to a large fishing fleet. 

 Prof. Alpheus Hyatt, one of the most recent writers on American 

 Sponges, regards most of the American commercial forms as identical 

 specifically with the Mediterranean, but separates them on subspecific 

 differences. His classification has been adopted in this catalogue. The 

 same subspecies belong to both Florida and the Bahama Islands, but 

 fewer commercial grades are recognized from the former than from the 

 latter region. The American species and subspecies are as follows: 

 Spongia officinalis Linn., subsp. tubulifera — Glove Sponge ; S. graminea 

 Hyatt — Glove Sponge; S. equina Sch., subsp. gossypina — Sheepswool 

 Sponge; 8. equina, subsp, meandriniformis — Velvet Sponge; S. equina, 

 subsp. eerebriformis — Grass Sponge ; S. agaricina, subsp. corlosia, dura, 

 punctata — Yellow Sponge. The finest quality of American Sponge is the 

 Sheepswool, the remaining grades being all quite inferior to it. The 

 Florida Sheepswool Sponges now command a higher price than those 

 from the Bahamas. 



The Florida Sponge grounds form three separate elongate stretches, 

 along the southern and western coasts of the State. The first includes 

 nearly all of the Florida Keys; the second extends from Anclote Keys 

 to Cedar Keys; and the third from just north of Cedar Keys to Saint 

 Mark's, in Apalachee Bay. The linear extent of these grounds is about 

 120 miles, and their breadth varies from a few miles to 15 or 20 miles. 

 The total area of the Sponge grounds worked in 1880 was reckoned at 

 about 3,000 square geographical miles, but this does not by any means 

 cover the possibilities of the coast, as many additional sponging areas 

 have been discovered since then. Key West is the principal headquarters 

 for the Sponge fleet. The Florida Sponge fishery differs from the Med- 

 iterranean in that no divers are employed. The Sponge, fleet consists 

 of over 100 vessels, ranging in size from 5 to 50 tons burden. These 

 vessels are mostly of light draft, and schooner rigged, and have propor- 

 tionately large decks and holds for the storage of working gear and 

 Sponges. They are well built and fast sailers. The crews number from 

 five to fifteen men each, one acting as cook and remaining on the ves- 

 sel, while the remainder go in search of Sponges, in couples, in small, 

 light yawl boats called dingies. The sponger's outfit consists of a three- 

 pronged iron hook or spear, mounted on a long pole, and a water-glass, 



