Some Phenomena in Sponges 
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skeleton break up the living- tissue of the sponge into its con- 
stituent cells, and these pass out throug-h the pores of the 
bolting- cloth into the surrounding- water. The cells, which 
pass out in such quantity as to present the appearance of red 
clouds, quickly settle down over the bottom of the saucer like 
a fine sediment. Enough tissue is squeezed out to cover the 
bottom well. The cells display amoeboid activities and 
attach to the substratum. Moreover they begin at once to 
fuse with one another. After allowing time for the cells to 
settle and attach, the water is poured off and fresh sea-water 
added. The tissue is freed by currents of the pipette from 
the bottom and is collected in the center of the saucer. 
Fusion between the individual cells has by this time gone on 
to such an extent that the tissue now exists in the shape of 
minute balls or cell conglomerates of a more or less rounded 
shape looking to the eye much like small invertebrate eggs. 
Microscopic examination shows that between these little 
masses free cells also exist, but the masses are constantly 
incorporating such cells. The tissue in this shape is easily 
handled. It may be sucked up to fill a pipette and then 
strewn over cover glasses, slides, bolting cloth, watch glasses, 
etc. The cell conglomerates which are true syncytial masses 
throw out pseudopodia all over the surface and neighboring 
conglomerates fuse together to form larger masses, some 
rounded, some irregular. The details of later behavior vary, 
being largely dependent on the amount of tissue which is 
deposited in a spot, and on the strength of attachment 
between the mass of tissue and the substratum. 
Decidedly the best results are obtained when the tissue has 
been strewn rather sparsely on slides and covers. The syn- 
cytial masses at first compact and more or less rounded, flat- 
ten out, becoming incrusting. They continue to fuse with 
one another and thus the whole cover glass may come to be 
occupied by a single incrustation, or there may be in the end 
several such. If the cover glass is examined at intervals, it 
will be found that differentiation is gradually taking place. 
The dense homogeneous syncytial mass first develops at 
