( ii6i ) 
tho I went into 2 other Shops that fold Spunges, and 
amined feveral of them, yet I could meet with no Si.-u, 
that were covered with CoraL 
Upon the abovementioned Obfervations, I confidcrM 
with my felf, whether the Pumice Stone was not to be 
found in the Mediterranean Sea. 
Upon mentioning of Spunges, I cannot forbear telling 
you that I did not confider them a great many years ago, 
and was much aftoniftied at the ftrange Produftion of 
them, becaufe that in the growth of all Plants we may 
obferve a fprouting out, which in the beginning thereof 
we call a Stem or Stalk, from which Stalk Boughs or 
Branches are produced, by which their parts become 
greater and more extended 3 but in the growth of Spunges 
it happens quite otherwife^ for they have no Stem as far 
as it appears to us,nor growing thicker and larger 5 for their 
beginning and ending is much of the fame magnitude, 
and out of one of their firft Produftions another like Par- 
ticle fprouts out, and out of the fecond feveral others, but * 
all of them very fhort. 
To make you conceive the fame, I have thought fit to 
defcribea fmall Particle of Spunge as it appeared through 
a Microfcope, as you may fee in Fig. 6. I K L M N O P, 
which I pared off of a Spunge, as thin and as (mall as 
'twas poffible, where the parts oi: the Spunge are defcrib'd, 
coming one out of the other, and then united together 
again ^ and though we cannot conceive how the Spunge 
grows bigger, yet we may fee that this is the manner oi 
its encreafing. 
For fuppofe that the parts broken off at K L or M N 
grow out fo far that they come to touch one another and 
to joyn, new parts will grow out of them and unv.& 
themfelves again, as we may fee in the difleftion of this 
fmall Particle of Spunge, which is altogetiier iorrawJ at- 
t€r this manner. 
