Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-04-08
From the A. g. Standard.
POLITICAL NATURAL HISTORY

1HE universal attention bestowed by tue Legls-
latuics Of several States the Natural History Of
the same is very encouraging circumstance,
characterizlng the present point OF the March of
Mind. To be sure, it is done for the purpose Of
developing the mineral resources of the domain,
and the other means for enlarging the industry
and increasing the wealth of the Inhabitants Still
these researches are of none the less service to
Science and indeed do her the greatest service
possible in causing her to lie recognized as the
beneicent handmaidcn Of man, But the work,
however, has been but inpcrfcctly done. Import
ant varieties in some well known species Of the
animal kingdom have been prc;ermittcd in a man
her us blameworthy as it is remarkable. For ex-
ample, interesting though obscure varieties in the
Conchology Of this State have never yet been re-
duced into their proper place in the various Re
ports that have been made Of its animals. As the
Legislature is now in Session it would be an act
worthy Of 50 grave body TO authorize Commits
siuner to inquire into and report the specified dill
erences of the Hard Shells and Soft Shells which
every political storm throws up in such quantities
ON our coasts 1t would be interesting to know
whether their distinguishing characteristics are 50
incompatible that the same animal can never pass
from one class to the other Whether Soft Shell
he any thing more or less than a Hard in state
of transition, or formation, the slippery Tad-pol
is but the solemn Bull-frog in previous state Of
eSiaLepgc. And whcther III put into certain places
Of similar conditions, the strongest microscope
could discover any difference between them.
The Silver Grcys, we apprehend, also deserve
a place in the Natural History of New York. We
do not know, indeed, to what particular species or
even genus, they belong. We take it for grant
ed, however that they leong to the Jjpeds and, if
not ceitJ Jedtheyed, that it is through no fault Of
their own. Perhaps they partakc Of the game
qualities of the Fightng-Cock, and are rather un
comfortable ioint-tcnants of the poultry-yard at
Albany. They have certainly distinguished them
selves by their capacity for Growing, on certain
OCCASIONS and sometimes very slight ones. The
llunkers and Fogcs belong rather tO the order Of
Fossils, which are to be found everywhere indeed;
but still are not unworthy Of place in the M
tural History OF each State. There are local mOd
icati0us which alter the habits AMI appearances Of
the specimens found in different places and in the
uses TO which they can be put Perhaps no State
can boast Of n richer variety Of all sorts than New
York, and proper classification of them would be
II most valuable contribution to the Natural lis
tory of Politics In these DAYS Of Lectures, when
the Lyccum has become organized into an lnstitu-
tion and when Lecturers find il passing hard TO
find new sub iccts for their dsquistions, this new
Science might opep an inexhaustable field for dis
coyery and elucidauon. a course Of Lectures on
the Political Natural History fhc United States
or Of tho several Statos even, illustrated by spec
mems and illustrations could not fail to be at
tractiye. Indeed, something of the kind was
tried this last winter in this City, and with the
most encouraging success. II our idea be followed
out, next winter, we venture to prophecy that
the Tabernacle will not be largo enough TO cCntan
the sitters at the feet Of the expoundors of this
Philosophy.
We were very much surprised the other day, in
reading the proceedings of the General Court of
Massachusetts, to see q proposition made for the
! publication of Report on the lnverebrate Ami
mails of that State We could not understand the
meaning Of this movement at first. We are not
any too familiar with the nomenclature OF Science ;
but we knew enough to know that an lnvertebrate
Animal is an Animal destitute of that Spinal Col
umn usually denominatcd by the vulgar back
! bone What possible motive could the Legislature
of Massachusetts have for expendng the public
money for the celebration of class OF ANIMALS
altogether too common and well-known to require
description? At length We remembered that the
! Wings are in possession of that Body, and that
they have at this moment Report before them for
erecting Statue TO Daniel Webster Ia man who
put forth all the strength in his dying hand to
knock them on the head), and it occurred to us
that this Scientific work might be intended as n
monument TO an eminent member OF that party
who now represents them in the Senate OF the
United States. Being in graceful and liberal
frame of mind, they might think five hundred
dollars not thrown away upon BOOK IN hOnor 0i
he Living any more than Ten Thousand upon a
! Stone to the Memory of the Dead Every one
must admire the delicacy Of the compliment as
no one could question its appropriateness. The
Genius of lnyertebrate Politicians is by no means
confined to Massachusetts, nor is it limited to the
ranks OF the wing Party; but It ls SAID slngularly
proper (which we think none interested in the
question can deny) that it should be oxemplfed
and illustrated by the most perfect and complete
specimen it could afford. In this point Of view we
could not but approve of this Legislative action of
Massachusetts and hope it may be carried through
to prosperous conclusion. 1t must needs be
profitable either by way ofremembrance or of re-
proof.
The great misfortune of the North has long been,
and now is, that it so seems with the lnverebrate
races. They swarm in the market-places, on the
Exchange in the Pulpits, in the Churches, but
more especially in the Capitol at Washington -
] And, what is peculiar about the species is that
Animals having very well artcnlated rerte6ros, at
home to all appearances, find them absorbed and
reduced to a mere grstle, if so much as that, as
soon as they are. exposed 70 the action Of that
Pandemonac atmosphere. The great desideratun
lis some method by which the Spinal Process can