The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-02-03
titles of them arr eaten by larger ami

m8lS.
Sponges are common in nearly all
parts Of the world. and they differ
greatly in size and quality, but few
species being useful to man. Some
species are nearly round, others are al
WAYS cup-shaped, some top-shaped, and
some branched. A fresh-water sponge.
is frequently found in our streams.
growing upon sticks and stones. 1t IS
Of bright green, and when seen under
the water in q flood Of sunlight it is
very pretty. u :,
variety of elegant shapes, but they are
visible only with q microscope. iney
are composed of lime or flint, and are
generally sharp-pointed. They are I'M
bedded in the flesh as well as IN tne
horny fibers, thus serving to protect tne
HELPLESS creatures from being devoured
by fish and other animals. In our nne
sponges, the skeleton is almost desu-
tute of spicules. while in some others
the flesh is supported wholly by spic-
ules. giving them so loose texture that
thew are Of no value for domestic pur-
poses.
Fine sponges are used by physicians
in surgical operations, and are some
times very expensive. Should you al
any time take fancy to dainty little
sponge in the druggists window. and
step in, thinking to buy it, you will
probably be surprised at the price asked
| for it. Our finest sponges. come from
the Mediterranean Sea and the Red
Sea. They are obtained by divers, who
| search for them under rocks and ellis,
and who remove them carefully with a
knife, that they may not be injured.
The Turks, who carry on the trade:
have between four and five thousand
men employed in collecting sponges.
The value of the sponges annually col,
lected is estimated at ninety thousand
dollars. Coarse varieties are found IN
the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahama
Islands. They are scraped of the rocks
with forked instruments, and conse-
quently they are often torn.
This demand for sponges has IN
creased so much during the last few
wears that there is cause to fear the sup
Div will be exhausted, unless some way
can be found to cultivate them by artlfl-
cial means. With this view, attempts
have recently been made to raise
sponges in the Adriatic Sea by taking
cuttings from full-grOwn ones, and
. fastening them upon stones on the bot
tom of the ocean until they attach them
, selves. These experiments have been
successful, but the operation is dell
cate one, requiring great care not TO
> bruise the soft flesh. 1t is necessary to
keep the sponge under sea water during
, the process.
Some of the glass sponges are ex'
r ceedingly beautiful. The dehcate
: ..Venus's flower-basket" grows IN the
: deep sea near the Philippine Islands
D It looks like spun glass woven into q
: beautiful pattern, and is so exquisite
that we can scarcely believe that it is
o the skeleton of a sponge. This sponge
4 is composed of bands of spicules run.
4 ming lengthwise from end to end, witt
;; cross bands at right angles. The cor
g ners are filled with a pale-brown, corky
o looking substance, reducing the spaces
: to little tube-like holes, and rising init
spirally-arranged ridges between them
" The ridges, instead Of having contin
= /. uous CLASSY skeleton, have their sol
r substance supported by q multitude o
delicate six-rayed spicules intersperseo
:. with what, under the microscope, loo
~ like little stars and rosettes. III
e whole sponge is covered with fine hairs
), and the mouth is closed by a network
:; = of jelly-like substance supported D.
- sheaves of fine needles. The glass-rop
:, sponge roots itself in the mud OF twiste
= fiberS.
7e The boring sponge spreads itself owe
N the shells of oysters and nussels, BORN
rs them through and through, and disso!.
20 ing the shell. It even bores into soil
v. marble, and will, in time. utterly d.
he stroy it.
ce Flints are exceedingly hard sui
Is stances-so hard that when we wish
III be emphatic, we sometimes say that
r thing is as hard as flint. Yet all tt
IN f1ints in the world are supposed to hay
it been formed from soft sponges. L
er examining small pieces of flint under
microscope the texture of the spong
III in fossil condition, is often clear
nv seen, and the spicules peculiar
NJ. sponges are recognized.-Harpe'
mo- Young People.