118 
THE OCEAN WOULD. 
out of the water, presents itself as an elongated flattened body, gela- 
tinous, round in shape, and charged with blackish mud. It is then hard, 
heavy, coarse, but compact, and of a reddish colour. By a simple wash- 
ing in water it becomes round, still remaining heavy and reddish. B 
presents many gaps, the intervals of which are occupied by a sinuous and 
tenacious net-work. It is valuable for domestic use, because of the 
facility with which it absorbs water, and its great strength. 
Other sorts of sponges are very abundant : The Blonde Sponge of 
Or. Ui aaLO 
Fig. 40. spimyia iKulata, showing the orifices »ud currents outwards. 2. Anastomosing horuy sub- 
stance of Sponpia communis. 3. Siliceous siflwlum Of S. papillaris. 4. Of S.cineria. 5 . S. panic? 0 " 
6. Calcareous spieulum of & amprem. 7. Transverse section of a canal of S. papillaris, showing tW 
structure of tlie ova passing along.the euiral. 8. Ovum of S.pankca seen laterally— the cite anterior- 
0. The same seen on the end, with a circle produced by the ciliary action, to. Y oung Spmgia papilla' *• 
the Archipelago, often confounded with the Venetian ; the Hard 
Barbary Sponge, called Gelina, which only comes by accident into 
France; the Salonica Sponge is of middling quality; finally, the 
Bahama Sponge, from the Antilles, is wanting in flexibility and a little 
hard, and is sold at a low price, having few useful properties to recom- 
mend it. 
Many species of Spongia are described as inhabiting British seas, 
but none of any commercial value. Regarding them as apolypiferou 3 
zoophytes, Dr. Grant has pointed out certain principles of analyst 
