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SPONGES. 453 
of London," by Prof. Owen, as the Zuplectella aspergillum, 
from the fact of its being in shape like the common Asper- 
gillum Javanicum of Java. “Mr. Cuming” says Prof. Owen 
"has entrusted to me for description one of the most singular 
and beautiful as well as the rarest of the marine productions, 
with which his researches in the Philippine Islands have en- 
abled him to enrich the zoólogical collections of his native - 
country.” The first specimen of this remarkable sponge was 
purchased by Mr. Cuming, the celebrated conchologist, at the 
death of Mr. William J. Broderip, who had formerly given 
the sum of £30 to become the possessor of this then unique 
Euplectella. This specimen, the only one known for a great 
many years, is now in the possession of the authorities of the 
British Museum. in England, by whom it is greatly prized 
in consequence of its possessing the gelatinous film in its 
natural state. It certainly is one of the most curious and 
extraordinary combinations of fibrous and silicious structure 
Which the bed of the ocean has ever yielded up to the re- 
searches of the naturalist. It differs materially from any 
Sponges with which we are acquainted, being regular in its 
form. It is of cornucopia shape, and bas a horny skeleton- 
like network, composed of large silicious fibres running from 
the base to the head, surrounded by smaller fibres, forming 
Square open meshes resembling a net or basket-work. It 
ranges in height from six to even fifteen inches. At the 
lower extremity, or root, it averages about an inch in thick- 
hess, but its size gradually increases as it approaches the top, 
Where often it is two inches wide. It is surmounted by a 
ridge about quarter of an inch wide, and is closed at the 
larger extremity by a delicate open lace work of fibres pos- 
Sessing no particular pattern. It is on this light and, pretty 
structure that the fibrous gelatinous substance rests, — 
bling in texture the common sponge, but in this instance dis- 
Posed in an irregular foliated pattern, over which the ‘usual 
film of the sponge is laid during life. The base or root 
_ attaches itself to almost anything which may serve as a sup- 
