FISHERY RESOURCES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 61 



sponge is found in many localities throughout the Sulu Archipelago, 

 but it seems to be especially abundant in the vicinity of the Island of 

 Sulu. The pearl divers frequently bring up fine specimens. 



THE TUBE SPONGE {PIATE IX ). 



This is a peculiar sponge found in the shallow waters at Sitanki. It 

 is of very little if any commercial value, but as sponges are becoming 

 rarer each year and as even the smallest clippings are being utilized, 

 it may in time come about that even this sponge will have a value. 



THE PEEPAEATION OF SPONGES FOR THE MARKET. 



The sponges are first placed in their normal position, on a plat- 

 form, the deck of a vessel, flat rock, or any place where they will 

 not become filled with sand or dirt. They are left in the sun for 

 two or three days until killed. They are then placed in a corral 

 (usually built at the edge of the water), where they will be covered 

 with water ; they are squeezed out from time to time and allowed to remain 

 in this place for from five to six days, large sponges requiring more time 

 than the small ones. The shorter the time in which they are macerated 

 in the corral, the better for the sponges, the object being to keep them 

 in the water only for a sufficient period to permit them to be squeezed 

 out and cleaned easily. The corral may be constructed of any size and 

 in almost any manner, the object being to keep the sponges covered 

 with salt water and free from dirt. If the enclosure is made simply 

 by driving stakes in the ground, it is best to put in a floor of bamboo 

 or boards to keep the sponges off the bottom and thus prevent them from 

 rotting. Mr. John Byersdoffer, of Sitanki, constructs a floating enclosure 

 of boards and slats with cracks sufficiently wide to permit the water to 

 enter freely. (Fig. 1.) The box is about 4 meters long, 2 meters wide, 



Fi(i. 1, 



Fig. 3. 

 Fig. 2. 



