356 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE chap. 



upwards of 6 feet in height, has more than 

 once been met with. Sponges are numerous, 

 and often very beautiful. The now well 

 known Euplectella, " Venus's Flower-basket," 

 resembles an exquisitely delicate fabric woven 

 in spun silk ; it is in the form of a gracefully 

 curved tube, expanding slightly upwards and 

 ending in an elegant frill. The wall is formed 

 of parallel bands of glassy siliceous fibres, 

 crossed by others at right angles, so as to 

 form a square meshed net. These sponges 

 are anchored on the fine ooze by wisps of 

 glassy filaments, which often attain a con- 

 siderable length. Many of these beautiful 

 organisms, moreover, glow when alive with 

 a soft diffused light, flickering and sparkling 

 at every touch. What would one not give 

 to be able to wander a while in these wonder- 

 ful regions ! 



It is curious that no plants, so far as we 

 know, grow in the depths of the Ocean, or, 

 indeed, as far as our present information goes, 

 at a greater depth than about 100 fathoms. 



As regards the nature of the bottom itself, 

 it is in the neighbourhood of land mainly 



