Norwich Castle Museum. 133 
| Euptlectella aspergillum—known as ‘‘Venus’s Flower- 
Basket ”—the silicious skeleton of a species of sponge, 
is, Owing to the exquisitely beautiful and fairy-like 
tracery of its frame work, one of the most lovely 
objects in nature. The spicules are so arranged as to 
weave together a thin-walled vase of delicate lattice- 
work with square meshes ; this in life is covered with 
the living substance of the sponge, and is either 
attached to rocks at the bottom of the deep sea, or 
anchored in the mud by a tuft of lengthened silicious 
spicules. ‘The top is covered by a lace-work of the 
same material, and when found, the interior invariably 
holds a number of crustaceans, whether voluntary or 
involuntary prisoners it is not known. This beautiful 
sponge was first obtained off Zebu, one of the 
Philippines. //ya’onema mirabilis is another wonder- 
ful form of sponge found in the Japanese seas. It is 
known as the “ Glass-rope” sponge, from the arrange- 
ment of its anchoring spicules, which are twisted 
together into a spiral wisp or rope, sometimes reach- 
ing a length of eighteen inches; the sponge is at the 
upper end supported by a stalk, overgrown with an 
incrustation of /alythoa, and the bare glassy portion 
is embedded in the mud of the ocean bed. Specimens 
are usually seen, with the twisted rope-like portion 
turned upwards, as prepared by the Japanese. 
After leaving the Picture Gallery, we enter the cor- 
ridor devoted to the FISHES. 
Those in the wall cases are all British, and 
almost entirely of local origin. They are not suffi- 
ciently numerous to treat systematically, and I shall 
only call attention to the most remarkable. In 
Case I. 
will be noticed a fine specimen of the MAIGRE 
