106 BRITISH SPONGES: 



Hub. Northern islands, rare, Fleming. On the shores of the 

 island of Unst, Jameson ; " I have also been informed that 

 Mr Neill is in possession of a specimen which he foimd in 

 Orkney," Montagu. Found near Cumbra, Itev. D. Lands- 

 horough. 



Sponge forming a funnel-shaped cup about three inches high 

 and the same in diameter, the cup gradually evolving from a very 

 short stalk and rooted by a moderately spreading base. The 

 texture and colour is uniform and spongy, finely reticulated or 

 rather porous, the walls about the eighth of an inch in thick- 

 ness, and the rim brought to an edge, even, or sinuated or fis- 

 sured : surface even and alike on both sides excepting that the 

 interior is more compact : oscula none. 



The sponge has the appearance of a fibro-reticular species, 

 but is not so, and the spicula lie x-ather loose in their subcor- 

 neous membrane in fascicles or crossways. They are all sim- 

 ple, but very unequal, for many are curved and pointed at each 

 end, while others are considerably longer, nearly straight, 

 rounded at one and tapered to a shai*p point at the opposite ex- 

 tremity, like a needle. A few of the latter are flexuous. 



This fine sponge is the British analogue of the Neptune's 

 cup of the Indian Ocean, and while it is vastly inferior in ca- 

 pacity, is excells the tropical species in neatness of texture, and 

 in sponginess. For the specimen from which our figure was 

 drawn, I am indebted to the kind liberality of the Rev. David 

 Landsborough of Stevenston in Ayrshire. 



Pallas seems to have had more than one species in view 

 when he drew up his description of Spongia craferiformis, but 

 I cannot agree with Lamarck that the species of Linnaeus is un- 

 determinable or even doubtful. His description, taken in con- 

 nection with the habitat, decides the sponge before us to be 

 what he intended. " Habitat in M. Norvegico. D. D. Gun- 

 nerus. — Junior perfectc infundibuliformis ; adultior rumpitur 



