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I Chapter of Suhteroceanic Wonders, ictiForest and Stream lias a communication (t rom Com. Beardslee, commanding tlie do iteamer Blue Light, assisted by Pror. Ver- A •ill, of Yale College, from which we copy lc he following passages: jiCape Qod is a dividing line upon our ft ;oast. South of-it one class of creatures si ire found in profusion, but the quohog n darn (the Galista convexa), certain star- c: islies and worms, and the oyster, have F lot existed, or, having existed, have be- E:omc extmct north of this line, except in i very few localities. A live Galista con- ulexa (a • species of clam) brought up in d 3asco bay, upset at once the opinion held g ill then that it was extinct so far north, to Quohog shells in plenty we find in ancient P Indian shell mounds, which dot every a dope of,the island, showing that once hey existed in plenty. Now but one lit-;le bay—a mere cove at the head of Casco jay—furnishes this creature, which, south if Cape Cod, is but the common plentiful dam. Oyster shells, of a size to which n he saddle rock is but a pigmj', lie thickly ^ planted six feet below the present bottom P if Portland harbor. They, too, however, P ire extinct. In that great convulsion of lature that was so sweeping in its effects, S lot a living oyster was left to fulfil a n mission, ll seems a sad mistake up here, S where oysters could be eaten every day in : he year, and the nightly blanket renders f! superfluous the mosquito bar. But the jcean is still well filled, and with fruits 8 and flowers, with vegetables and plants, 2 masons apd well-diggers, robbers and cannibals, and each bearing in a ? greater or less degree a resemblance, either in appearance or habits, to the creature ? or object above water that it is named for. Way down in the dark depths animal life utilizes every inch of ground, and no ? square foot above the surface can equal in 1 number and variety of forms the same J space at the bottom of the sea. Strange, odd, horrible creatures, with none or many c eyes, with Bpeckled bodies, and long, slimy, c clinging arms, changing at once their 8 form and size at will, and, like the genii 8 of the Arabian Tales, from a mere start- { ing point extend themselves almost indefi-nitely in size. Beautiful creatures, too, as ^ the anemonies and dahlias, at first fright- *nn rwl 1_ il. A I 1ened and jjarred as we see them in thedredge, mere masses of pink or purple I£ flesh, coveted with a tough skin; left to ^themself ill a cool, dark place they pro- “ trudefromjan opening in their bodies, Mclusters of’ gay colored and gracefully I . moving anfennee, which in some branch 1 like coral, pi others bear close resemblance , f to the staniens and petals of flowers. Down ! here the animal kingdom takes from the floral tribe'the duty of embellishing. Liv-1 ing, breathing, food-devouring flowers, i and the kitchen garden too, and orchard, ]are not unrepresented. Sea cucumbers, | |3{Pentaccta frondosa\ sea peaches (Cynthia pyriformis), sea pears (Boltenia clavala) and apples, are found in plenty, the former so close a simile of the fruit, both in form and color, that it could be mistaken, the one for tlie otlier.The flowers, though beautiful as they are, are but brigands; those graceful petals wave but to entice and grasp a victim, which, when seized, is pressed close to its moutli, and then, even if larger than its captor, is swallowed whole. The process of swallowing whole a morsel larger than the swallower, is father an unusual proceeding among animals, and of course an unusual method has to be adopted. The anemonie does it this way: holding tightly its $rey, it gradually protrudes its stomach from its mouth, and turning it inside out, envelopes its dinner, and then it lies quietly awaiting death and digestion. It rejects such portions as are not suitable, and stows away its stomach for future use. What a blessing some men would esteem this faculty to be.The sea cucumber is another curious creature: first found it is a small compact “gherkinleft to itself, it will swell and develop to an immense cucumber, quite large enough to make a boat of, if the sea urchins had the same habits as did those urchins of whom I was once one.Starfish we find in great numbers and varieties; different according to the char-acter of the bottom. The common “fivefingered Jack” is found everywhere, and at each haul of the dredge, whether from mud or rocks, uasterias vulgaris” is the first object called out to the note taker.
Newspaper Details
Williamsport Warren Republican
Williamsport, Indiana, US
Thu, Nov 20, 1873
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Judith R.
USA 14 May 2018
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