uo 



ACCOUNr OF BRITISH SPONGES. 



Spongy reticulated covering, but which, in the 

 other part, is perfectly concealed by a thick>set 

 and very fine cinereous hair. Like Spongia verru- 

 cosa, it is rendered hard by the drying of a large 

 portion of animal gluten that forms the exterior 

 part or coat, and which consequently gives rigi- 

 dity to the spongy surface. The hairs which co- 

 ver the surface when perfect, are in fact continua- 

 tions of those long asbestine-like spiculss that fill 

 the whole internal cavity : when the coating or 

 fleshy part that surrounds these spiculae is cut, and 

 the sponge is pulled asunder, the fibres are drawn 

 out their full length, and as the fleshy part con- 

 tracts in drying, they derive an inclination to 

 twist, and appear so numerous and prominent, as 

 if they could not have been contained in the 

 sphere. But to explain the subject more fully, 

 a figure accompanies this, of the natural size, 

 as well as the appearance of the surface when 

 magnified. 



Diameter about three quarters of an inch. 



Index 



