The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-04-20
PEAS AMONG FoTATORs.

GLASS Spof-as UNDER rsH MrcRo-
sooPE.-kmong the Japsnsse the sponge
is known Sc ''se2 cotton" ard until
recently this idea of the vegetable nsturs
OF the sponge IVES universal. the micro-
scope alone cast light into THE darkness.
The sponge is indeed an snirnEl. It is
also trne tiiet tilsse sponge animals be-
long to many geners AID apecies. The
work OF classification Is, however, 70 far
as the sponges sre concerned, one Of
great difficulty, End without the micro
scope it is impossible. In general terms,
the sponge OF the tiIlet is The skeleton
of IN immense number of sponge AMI
mails. This horny skeleton holds the
saroode. o. sponge flesh. This sercode
surrounds the entire structure, and, in
deed, excepting the openings or tubes
Necessary for inhaling and exheling, it
is also the fiiiing-ia Of the structure.
Now this ssrcode is of consistency like
jelly, and would be dif1uent but FOR the
fact that il contains mixed sll through it
little speculate parcels OF a silieeous CT
calcareous nature, that give to the Hsr-
code G consistency Or ability to hold to-
gether, much ss the hair does to the
plaster through which it 1z mixed. And
as these minute spicules have very def
i.ite forms, and these forms vary with
the species, they become great help in
their determination. It is noticeable,
then, that sponge skeleton, when alive,
consists OF two parts-the one with
which We are familiar as the sponge of
commerce, and which Is of an animal
nature, namely, keratose or horn, and
the Other the spicules, or fIling-in
Of the reticula5ed horny part; and these
spicules are mineral, either siiex or lime.
Now the strange exception TO ell this is
with the glass sponge instance the
familiar japanese glass-rope sponge, the
hyalonema. It's skeleton is sIl silex, she
long fbres or threads which compose
the rope or coil, also the finer structure
called the head. The greater part Of the
head is made OF very fine fbres or glass
threads, and tho flIing-in is with beau
t;ful spicules Of the same material. The
whole skeleton, then, is composed of
selex. When dry, some glass
slips or slides were prepared for the mi
cro5cope. This ives simply done by
touching 9 slide against the paper, when
the naeres5 trace Of dust would adhere
to the glass. The slide vas next put
under the microscope. The scene pre-
sented YES vision of boauty. Forms
innurerab!e appeared ss the slide was
moved slowly On the stage of the instru-
nscnt. Ths variety of these forms vas
endless, although nearly eli could be
reduced TO a few patterns, Of which they
were notifications. And every one Of
these pretty figures Yves transparent, for
they were CT natural glass. Many of
them cleaned Ike pearls. Some of these
forms we're so odG, others were SO ex-
quisite Crosses were there of indie
scTibable beauty Some forms there
OF the hero Of ia Maacha. Others were
like feathers, and some like churn- dash
ers. Some suggested snow crystals, and
besides their sinilitude Of form, they
had the SEINE sparkle too. Many, how
ever, were of forms not eesily described.
AZ the best that could be done, we have
drawn from the microscope some seventy
OF these hyalonema spicules. There are
two figure. smong tlem-the one Of a
discoidsl form, and that one of truncat-
ed ovoid-vhich, though found among
the spicules, are plainly shells OF come
foranIinifera which have served as food
to the glass sponge. The figures are all
greatly enlsrged, from 400 TO even 400
diameters, and some even 2OOO.-Ray.
per's Magazine for May.