COMMERCIAL SPONGES. 49 



The Cliona bores into shells, causing them to disinte- 

 grate. For example, Oliona sidplmrea of Verrill has been 

 found by liim boring into various shells, such as the oyster, 

 mussel, and scallop ; it also spreads out on all sides, envelop- 

 ing and dissolving the entire shell. It has even been found 

 to penetrate one or two inches into hard statuary marble. 



Of the marketable sponges there are six species, with nu- 

 merous varieties. They are available for our use from being 

 simply fibrous, having no silicious spicules. The Mediter- 

 ranean sponges are the best, being the softest; those of the 

 Red Sea are next in quality, while our West Indian species 

 are coarser and less durable. Our glove-sponge {Spongia 

 tululifera Duch. and Mich.) corresponds to Spongia Aclriat- 

 ica Schmidt, which is the Turkey cup-sponge and Levant 

 toilet sponge of the Mediterranean. Spongia gossypina 

 Duch. and Mich, the wool sponge of Florida and the Baha- 

 mas, corresponds to S. equina Schmidt, the horse or bath 

 sponge of the Mediterranean. 



BRANCH II.— PORIPERA. 



The sponges are many-celled animals, with three cell-layers, without a 

 ti-ue digestive cavity, supported usually by calcareous or silicious sjiicules, 

 the body-mass permeated by ciliated passages, or containing minute chain- 

 bers lined by ciliated, collared, monad-like cells. No true mouth-opening, 

 but usually an irregular system of inhalent pores opening into the cell-lined 

 chambers w passages through which the food is introduced in currents of 

 sea-water, t?te waste particles passing out of the body by a single, but more 

 usually, many cloacal openings (oscula). Sponges are hermaphroditic, mul- 

 tiplying by fertilised eggs, the germ passing through a morula and a gastrula 

 stage. (The characters of the Class the same as those of the Branch.) 



Order \. OalcispongieE. Animal supported by a framework of calcare- 

 ous spicules, disposed in lines or columns at right angles to 

 the walls ; with cell-lined radiating canals. (Sycon.) 



Order 2. Carneospongiw. Mesoderm exceedingly thick ; the ciliated 

 cells restricted to cell-lined chambers. Either no solid 

 framework, as in Halisarca, or usually a well-developed 

 fibrous or silicious framework. (Spongilla, Spongia, Hya- 

 lonema, Euplectella.) 



