ACCOUNT OF BRITISH SPONGES. Qi 



17* Tubulosa. Tubular, branched, tough; the 

 tubes erect, and slightly tapering. 



Spongia tubulosa. Ellis^ Zooph. p. 188. t 58. f. 7, — 

 Lin. Syst. p. 1297.^GmeL p. 3819.— Spongia fas=- 

 tigiata. Pallas, Zooph. p. 392. 



The external structure of this sponge is so fine 

 as not to be discerned by the naked eye ; smooth, 

 and destitute of any detached fibres ; when ex- 

 amined by a lens, it is observed to be finely, 

 though irregularly reticulated with smooth fibres : 

 the tubes are hollow throughout, nearly erect, 

 and most commonly originate from a common 

 base, but frequently so close together, as to be- 

 come more or less united ; sometimes smaller 

 tubes issue from the sides of the larger : at the 

 summit the tubes are as thin as paper. 



This sponge is not uncommon in the estuary of 

 Kingsbridge at very low water, adhering to stones, 

 and is occasionally taken by the trawl in the open 

 sea on the coast of Devon. It rarely exceeds 

 three inches in height, and four or five inches 

 wide ; one specimen contains ten principal tubes 

 of different lengths : the colour when fresh is 

 yellow, but, by drying, it becomes of a pale brown 

 or dirty white. 



Making allowance for climate, this approaches 

 so nearly to the Batavian tubular sponge, that I 

 have ventured to consider it a depauperated va- 

 riety of the species described by Mr Ellis, rather 



