ACCOUNT OF BRITISH SPONGES. 9^ 



The only place I have noticed this sponge, is at 

 Dawlish in Devonshire. This is probably Spongia 

 compressa of Fabricius ? which is mentioned as a 

 production of the Scotish coast in Professor Jame- 

 son's catalogue of Vermes, given in the first 

 volume of the Wernerian Natural History Me- 

 moirs. 



The Reverend Mr Fleming favoured me with 

 a very fine specimen on a fucus from Zetland, 

 under the denomination of Spongia compressa. 

 The interior surface of this tubular sponge, is ele- 

 gantly reticulated, having the pores larger than 

 on the outside ; and, when highly magnified, is 

 found to be formed of aggregate, simple spi- 

 culse. 



J 9' PeniciUus, With a yellowish gelatinous base, 

 supported by internal spiculse, and bearing 

 on its surface erect, white, flexible, spongy 

 tubes. 



Plate xiii. fig. 7* 



This is an interesting species of Spongia, as its 

 internal conformation appears clearly to demon- 

 strate its great affinity to Alcyonium lyncur'ium 

 and cydonium of Linnseus ; while its exterior 

 / part is evidently that of a tubular sponge. It 

 must be confessed that I had long considered those 

 Alcyonia, as more properly belonging to this genus; 

 but as the asbestine spiculae with which their in- 

 terior part is crowded, and the firm fleshy appear- 



