Marvels of the Universe 



165 



the sponge structure act as so many anchors by which the creature is fixed to the sea-bed. We keep 

 the portion of the skeleton thus torn awa}'. In about a year we are again fishing for Glass Sponges 

 in the same locaht}-. Among the specimens brought up, it happens at times that a sponge has 

 involuntarily repaired itself where a breach had been made either by us or by others fishing in the 

 same waters. This may seem incredible, but it is no more wonderful than the fact that other 

 marine creatures can grow a limb in place of one lost. 



" It is not easy to remove a hook from the sponge without making a rent, so that very few 

 Glass Sponges fished up in this primitive manner, are free from damage. This fact is taken 

 advantage of by the dexterous Oriental. He takes some of the long glass anchoring threads, and 

 with them dams up the opening made by the hook, because he is aware that sponges repaired by 

 the sponge-creature, if we may so put it, fetch a higher price than those not so repaired. It needs 

 caution, therefore, on the part of the intending purchaser of ' repaired ' Glass Sponges." 



The late Professor H. N. Moseley, in his " Notes of a Naturalist on the Challenger," gives us an 

 insight as to the methods adopted 

 by the natives of Cebu for obtain- 

 ing Glass Sponges : 



" The special interest of this 

 place lay in its being the locality 

 from which the weU-known deli- 

 cately beautiful sUiceous sponge 

 called Venus's Flower Basket was 

 first obtained. The sponge is 

 dredged up from a depth of about 

 one hundred fathoms in the channel 

 between Cebu and the small island 

 of Mactan. 



" The fishermen use, to procure 

 the sponge, a Ught framework 

 made of spht bamboo, with two 

 long straight strips, about eight 

 feet in length, forming its front 

 and meeting at a wide angle tri 

 form a point, which is dragged first 

 in using the machine. The long 

 straight strips have fish-hooks 

 bound to them at intervals all 

 along their length, the points of the 

 hooks being directed towards the 

 angle of the machine. 



" The whole is very ingeniously 

 strengthened by well-planned cross- 

 pieces and is weighted with stones. 

 It is dragged on the bottom by 

 means of a light Manila hemp cord, 

 which is attached to the angle. A 

 stone attached to a stick is fastened 



. ^ . , J. c ^r. 1 .L , -THE BIRD'S NEST." 



lust m front of the angle to keep , . , , j u t l r-i = u u l 



' *^ A cunoualy-shaped member or the olass .jponges, which were once such a 



the point down on the bottom, puzzle to naturalists, in fact, one of the first of these marvellous structures. 



Tl,^ U^^U^ rt-«^-^;.«„ -^,,«_a1,-, I, xj. which was brought from Japan, was placed by the great Ehrenberg in a cabinet 



1 he hooks creepmcr over the bottom r r . . , 



r c> wi-*.. ^j — Japanese art treasures! 



