28  SPONGE  FISHERY  OF  THE  OTTOMON  ARCHIPELAGO. 
Weissbecker  (N.  Jahrb.  f.  Ph.  xiii.  224),  has  investigated 
the  anatomy  of  both  barks  as  occurring  in  commerce,  and  found, 
that  if  they  are  not  parts  of  the  same  plant,  they  must  be  derived 
from  very  similar  plants  belonging  to  the  same  natural  order. 
He  likewise  subjected  to  microscopic  investigation  the  bark  of  a 
branch,  from  four  to  six  years  old,  with  the  leaves  and  flowers  of 
Drymis  winter!,  and  found  its  structure  to  be  entirely  different 
from  that  of  the  commercial  Winter's  bark. 
Professor  Schenk,  of  Wurzburg,  examined  the  bark  of  a 
stem  of  Canella  alba,  Murr.,  and  ascertained  that  it  has  no  re- 
semblance with  the  bark  of  Drymis  winteri  examined  by 
Weissbecker.  From  these  investigations,  it  is  to  be  concluded, 
that  the  commercial  Canella  alba  and  Cortex  winteranus  are 
neither  derived  from  Canella  alba,  Murr.,  or  Drymis  winteri, 
Forst.,  but  that  the  plant  yielding  them  is  yet  to  be  discovered, 
—  WittsL  V.  Schr.  ix.  576,  577.  J.  m.  m. 
THE  SPONGE  FISHERY  OF  THE  OTTOMAN  ARCHIPELAGO. 
By  p.  L.  Simmonds,  F.S.S. 
The  principal  article  of  export  from  the  Ottoman  Archipelago 
is  sponge.  Within  the  last  few  years  the  number  of  boats  em- 
ployed in  the  fishery  has  increased  a  third,  while  the  number  of 
men  has  nearly  doubled.  Average  number  of  boats  employed 
by  each  island  in  the  sponge  fishery : — 
Islands.  Formerly.  In  1858. 
Calymuos   120    254 
Symi   120    190 
Halki   60    65 
Castel  Kosso   40    40 
Leros   30    30 
Stampalia   10    12 
Telos   —    7 
Cassos   —    2 
Total.  380  600 
As  there  are  seven  men  to  each  boat,  the  number  of  men 
employed  now  is  4200,  against  2960  formerly.  Of  the  600 
boats  employed  in  1858,  70  fished  on  the  coasts  of  Rhodes,  150 
on  the  coasts  of  Candia,  180  on  the  coasts  of  Syria,  and  200  on 
the  coasts  of  Barbary. 
