Show Sponges Have Natural Nursery on Coral Isles At a group of coral islands about 30 34 miles off the coast t lof of British Honduras a genuine sponge nursery has been Strains of wild sponges most suited to modern tastes were first firs t selected and now in a shallow blue lagoon forming a natural nursery thousands of pedigree sponge fragments are steadily y growing Each is weighed do down wn with a cement disc As these animal animal animal ani ani- mal cuttings attain maturity a matter of oi four years' years growth they will again be drastically dismembered dismembered and planted in adjacent la la- goons Sponges die quickly upon exposure exposure ex ex- exposure to light They are black blac k ke skinned and thickly gelatinous when brought up by shark defy ing divers Formerly their skeletons skeletons e- e tons were simply dried an and ed d bleached in the sun Today a dip di P in secret chemicals before trimming trimming trimming trim trim- ming operations adds both to their luster and purity |