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CLASS 

 AMORPHOZOA, Blainv. Man. 527. 



Spon'gia, Lin. Syst. Nat. 1296 : Les Eponges, Cuv, Reg. Anim. 

 iii. 321 : Spongites, Latreille, Fani. Nat. 547 : Alcyonide^ et 

 Spongidi^, Gray, Brit. PL i. 352, 354 : SpoNGiADiE, Flem. Brit. 

 Anim. 518: SpongiaiPvES, M. Edwards in Lam. Anim. s. Vert ii. 

 534, 2de edit : Zoophyta poPvIPERa, Grant, Oiitl. Comp. Anat. 5 ; 

 and Cyclop. Anat and Pbys. i. 108 ; Roget, Bridge w. Treat i. 

 147 : Ceratophyta spoxgiosa, Schweigger, Handb. der Naturg. 

 421. 



Character. 

 Organized bodies growing in a variety of forms, perma- 

 nently rooted, unmoving and unii-ritable, fleshy, fibro-reti- 

 cular, or irregularly cellular, elastic and bibulous, com- 

 posed of a fibro-corneous axis or skeleton, often interwoven 

 with siliceous or calcareous spicula, and containing an or- 

 ganic gelatine in the interstices and interior canals : repro- 

 duction by gelatinous granules generated in the interior, 

 but in no special organ. — All are aquatic, and, with few ex- 

 ceptions, marine. 



