The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-12-26

Yet each OF GneSe pdrblCleS PuSoSoeOS
kind of individuality. Each one is ca
pable of certain amount OF lndepend-
ent movement, and each procures and
digests its own food, Just as AmGb@
do. These facts were found out before
it was discovered by what means the
particles in the interior of the mass OBJ
tanned their food.
1t was finally ascertained that in the
living sponge currents of water are
constantly flowing in and out of the
mass through the countless holes and
canals by which the sponge is pertor-
ated through and through.
The sponge, like all animals that live
in the sea, finds its food in organisms
contained in the sea-water, and as
fresh currents of water are constantly |
| flowing by the sponge-particles, they
have only to appropriate to themselves
the food-matter contained in them.
A sponge has, therefore, been COM
i pared by one writer to "a kind OF sub
aqueous city, where the people are ar
ranged about the streets and roads IN
such a manner that each can easily
take his food from the water as it
passes along" But what causes the
constant flow of water in and out OF
the spongep For long time no one
was able to answer the question. AT
last. bv the use of the microscope, it
was found out that the sponge-particles
which line the smaller external open
ings of the sponge-mass have attached
to them little vibrating hairs or ella.
These little hairs project out into the
, water, and by their constant, rapid
J motion to and fro propel the water
) along, and form a current into the
sponge. Currents thus being formed
inward, the outward currents, which
emerge through the larger external
D openings, take care of themselves.
e These larger openings are. therefore,
r called ''exhalent pores" and the
/. smaller ones ''inhalent pores
! Let us now take sponge of common
use and examine it. 1t is simply the
: skeleton of the sponge-animal. 1t con-
! sists of material very closely allied
. to horn in its nature, and these horny
y fibres are interlaced and interviewer in
y such "a way as to leave between
. their bundles many holes and
. canals. All these holes and canals
Il were once lined with living sponge
y hesh Through them, also, currents Of
~ water, laden with focd-matter for the
Z sponge particles, were constantly how-
&c ing.
= Out of the large, prominent open
- ings the currents from the sponge
flowed, and through the much mor'
~ numerous smaller openings currents
- passed into it. The skeleton itself wa
% produced by the sponge-particles by
!, process called secretion. This mean
40 simply that the particles have tn
l. power of changing the food taken int
y their substance into the horny materla
of which the skeleton is made Eael
u particle thus manufactured bit o
u, the skeleton, and these many bits, be
ne coming fused together, formed tn
a. -, skeleton for the entire sponge
y Not all sponges secrete a horn
an skeleton. In some forms the skeleto
-. is calcareous, or composed OF lime
~ and in others siliceous, or compose
~ of flint. A beautiful example of th
finty sponges is the Venus t1owel
an basket, which looks ''like goblet
act spun glass.
he The best sponges are obtained frol
' nf the Mediterranean Sea. The We
.ha India sponges are of an inferior grad
az. being eoarser. The spongers, as tho
W. who gather them are called. 60 out
AZ, small boats provided with poles gra
~ nels and water-glass. The waite
oct glass is merely q tube with a piece
oar common window-glass set in the be
NJ tom. Its use is to enable the spon
ont ers to see more clearly the bottom
M the sea. BY placing it in the waite
~ with the glass Just below the surfac
81 the vibrations caused by the waves a
= 81 af.a ahln Tn. G
r. quite plainly to depth of thirty
on. forty feet. When sponges are tn
ION discovered, they are torn loose by
II grapnels and placed in the boat
in this time they look somewhat II
on Jumps of jelly. After sufficient qua
10 tity has been collected, they are thro'
nto together into an Enclosed space ma
lice in shallow water and allowed to
! ~ main until the animals are dead.
This men then 60 in with bare feet
hat tread upon the sponges until
,iele s'fiesh'' is pretty well squeezed o
ow- The skeletons are then picked up,
IN after having been thoroughly wasl
THO and cleaned, and such as are intent
~, i for finer purposes bleached with hyd
chIoric acid, are sent away to mark
fha All sponges are marine except on
IN : the Spongilla. 1t abounds eyerywh
a. : in temperate regions, living in strea
,,siis and ponds attached to submerged sti
ater anu stones. lhey hase peea ny ', .
nee one instance Gin Baltimore a few ye
oga. ago9 they accumulated in such qua
- ties as to obstruct the flow of the W,
sstss and make their removal necessary.
ssill structure Of the Sponglla IS the
as6a as that OF the marine sponges: ga
II, n ~, Ia Golden sDQfs.
Sa - Z
ghels litHas Real Mean:
With
nsisl eaf me, q Iaininas Bis; Is
lated You cam % eNe "a tlss
l9re w 81 yen fay to ea