. 
REMARKS ON SOME CURIOUS SPONGES. 19 
Hyalonema—the fascicle, the warty investment and the 
sponge mass—as parts of one sponge. The wart-like eleva- 
tions of the crust he views as oscules of the sponge. 
Professor Max Schultze of Bonn, has published an elabo- 
rate memoir on the Hyalonema, accompanied by beautiful 
plates of perfect specimens preserved in the Museum at 
Leyden. He represents the fascicle and the sponge muss 
attached to one end as belonging together, while the warty 
crust is referred to a polyp, to which the author has given 
the name of Polythoa fatua. : 
To conclude these discordant views, we may add that of . 
the distinguished micrologist Ehrenberg, who considers the 
fascicle as an “artificial product of Japanese industry.” 
The Hyalonema in Professor Schultze’s work, is repre- 
sented as a sponge mass of conical or cylindrical form with 
rounded summit, from which the rope of silicious threads 
projects. The sponge mass measures five inches long and 
three in diameter ; the fascicle projects a foot and two inches. 
The sponge mass is described as composed of loosely inter- 
woven cords of fine silicious needles. The entire surface, 
except the end opposite to the fascicle, is provided with 
numerous orifices about one line in diameter. The flattened 
end of this sponge mass is furnished with six orifices half 
an inch in diameter, communicating by canals in the interior 
with a system of interspaces finally ending in the smaller 
orifices of the surface generally. | 
The long silicious threads of the fascicle are composed of 
delicate concentric layers enclosing a fine central canal. The 
external layer appears to be composed of imbricating rings, 
most conspicuous toward the free end of the thread and 
almost or quite disappearing toward the other end. The 
arrangement reminds one of the appearance of the cuticle 
on the hairs of mammals. The projecting edges of the ring 
toward the free ends of the thread are most prominent "i 
also form reversed hooklets. 
Professor Schultze regards the sponge mass as situated at 
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