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Vl* An Essay on Sponges, with Descriptions of all 

 the Species that ha^ce been discovered on the Coast 

 of Great Britain. 



By George Montagu, Esq; F. L. S. & M. W. S. 



(Read 7th March 1812 J 



Little has been added to the division of Zoophy- 

 ta as British, since the time of that enlightened 

 zoophytist Mr Ellis, to whom we are greatly in- 

 debted, not only for the discovery of numerous 

 species of the several genera that constitute this 

 class of animate beings, but for his critical inves- 

 tigation. By his indefatigable researches, micro- 

 scopical inspection, and judicious dissection, he 

 clearly demonstrated, that the subjects of this di- 

 vision (which had been considered as extremely 

 ambiguous, from their general appearance bearing 

 so much similitude to plants) are truly of animal 

 origin. Many indeed, which appear to possess all 



