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or any minute animal figure^come out of the papillae^ 
or fmall holes with which they are furrounded, we 
only obferved thefe holes to contraa and dilate them>* 
felves.- And as a further confirmation of this motion, 
being at Haftings in Suffex, in Auguft 1764, in com- 
pany with Dr. bowin Knight, F. R. S. we colleded 
from the rocks at ebb-tide, juft under water, a va- 
riety of the fame kind of fponge, but of a pale yel- 
low colour, and in the form of feveral cocks combs 
united together, the tops of which were full of tubu- 
lar cavities or papillae : when we examined thefe m 
glaffes of fea-water, we could plainly obferve, thefe 
little tubes to receive and pafs the water to and fro j 
fo that the fponge is an animal fui generis ^ whofe 
mouths are fo many holes or ends of branched tubes 
opening on its furface j with thefe it receives its nou- 
rifhment, and by thefe it difcharges, like the polypes, 
its excrements. 
But, to give a further proof of fponges fuckmg in 
and throwing out the fea-water, I fhall quote a pal- 
{a<y& from that fair inveftigator of nature, the cele- 
brated Count Marfigli, in his Hiftoire Phyfique de 
la Mer, p. 53. who, notwithftanding he took them 
for plants, as well as he did corals, &c. has in his 
chapter on Sponges this curious obfervation,^ which 
proves quite the contrary. 
« J’ai un fond fuftifant de ces plantes pour en fairc 
“ une botanique entiere, & plufieurs reflexions curi- 
» eufes fur la fyftole & diaftole, que J’ai obfervees, 
“ dans certains petits trous ronds de ces plantes, lors 
“ qu’elles fortent de la mer, mouvement qui dure 
“ jufqu’a ce que I’eau foit entierement conlumee.” 
In Englifh thus : “ I have a fufficient flock of thelc 
® “ plants 
