The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-02-03

Then the Dream-Man prouSn1 h'''o o""e
Night-sowns and all, from the Land Of Nod! I
ABOUT SPONGES. F,
Sponges are so common and SO tamil,
lar that many of us have used them all
our lives without stopping to admire
their curious and interesting structure,
or to inquire into the history OF their
past lives. We may. indeed. have no
ticed that they can be squeezed into a
very small space, and that they will re-
turn to their natural shape when the
pressure is removed. We have perhaps
noticed also that they are full of little
holes or pores, and that they will alb
sorb an astonishing quantity OF water.
You know there has been doubt
whether sponges belong to the animal
or to the vegetable kingdom. For
long time naturalists were in doubt about |
the matter, but it is now settled that
they are animals, living and growing on
the bottom of the ocean. The only part
of the sponge that reaches us is the
skeleton. The living sponge is a very
different object. Shall we see what we
can find out about it?
Upon naming the word "animal,"
picture comes before our minds OF some
creatures having a mouth to eat with,
and eyes to see with, and possessing
feet or wings, or some other means OF
moving about; but the spOnges are far
from this. They are probably the low
est animals with which you are &C
quainted. They have no nerves, no
heart, no lungs, NO mouth and no stom-
ach.
Live sponges cuGsist of jelly-like
bodies, united in a mass, and supported
by a framework of horny fibers, and
needle-shaped objects called ''spicules."
This ielly-like flesh, covering all parts
of the skeleton, is about as thick as the
white of an egg, but it decays immedi-
atelv after the death of the sponge.
During life the flesh presents many
bright colors; in some species it is OF
brilliant green. while in others it is Or
ange, red, yellow. etc.
The framework varies in different
kinds of sponge. In those which are
| valuable for our use it consists OF horny
fibers interviewer in all directions until
thew form mass of lacy network. This
YOU can easily see with the naked eye,
but by looking through a microscope
YOU will see beauty you had not imag-
ined, and which but for this valuable
instrument would never have been
dreamed of. In our ordinary sponges
these fibers are all that remain of the
former living animal, the soft flesh hav-
;no been removed. It is found that the
horny fibers are composed of a substance
yery similar to the silk of silk-wOrm'
cocoon. They are exceedingly tough
and durable. Most of US have discover
ed that a good sponge becomes like an
old and tried friend, and that unless il
, is abused it seems as if it might never
wear out.
In looking at any sponge you viii
notice large holes through it, with many
> small pores scattered between them
The living sponge is constantly drawing
in water at the small pores. This watel
passes through set of branching canals
: and is thrown out from the large hole
:. on the surface. With q microscope it'll
fountains may be seen constantly play
> ing from the large holes of livin|
= sponge. The circulation is kept up i
the canals by the movement of ella,
which are delicate threads waving gent
: w but continually. The word cili
, means "eyelashes;' let us remember il
= for this is q name we shall often want
y use. The stream of water thus passin
. through the sponge brings to every pal
= of it small particles of food, and all tn
:, air it needs for breathing purposes.
% Everything that lives must eat an
Il breathe, but how is the sponge to es
!. without q mouth? When the foo
% touches any part of its body, the sof
!, ielly-like flesh sinks in to form lit
70 bag; at the same time the surrOundin
10 parts creep out over the morsel OF foot
:. until it is entirely covered and digestet
!, After this the flesh returns to its Origin
=, :. position, and any shell or other refu!
that remains from the meal is washe
n away
,e Sponges have curious manner
Of producing their young. At certain Sc
sons very small oval masses OF jelly a
formed on the inner surface of the c
OF mails, which finally drop of. They 7
q main in the canals for time, and b
at come perfect eggs, after which they a
ty thrown out by the stream issuing fro
Mt the fountains, and instead of falling
cs the bottom, as we might suppose sui
on helpless masses of jelly would do. thu
tn swim around as if they meant to have
N. little sport before commencing the sob
-er realities of life.
is You will be interested to know tn
nd while these jelly-like eggs were resti1
as in the canals of the parent sponge, de
not cate ella (Which we learned about j.
ers now were forming at one end OF t
ne. egg. These ella strike the water wi
,as q rapid motion, and the eggs are row
about through it until they settle do'
and attach themselves to some rock
IAN shell on the bottom of the ocean, a
hit. finally grow up into the perfect spoons
md The waters are swarming with thu
eggs at certain seasons. and great qu'