Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-05-12

Natural History Society
This society at its meeting last Saturday eve |
ming voted to establish curatorship of Zoology, !
and elected Messrs. John b Cotton, John D. War
den and Miss Frances NJ, Lincoln, curatorS.
Nathaniel Paine, Esq read AL elaborate paper
on the form an characteristics Of animal life as
developed in the mammalia. The animal king
dom may be divided into four great divisions,
viz; the Certeblee, moiuScouS, articulate and
the radiate animals. Aristotle, who has been
called "rhe Father of Natural History divides
the animals into red and white booled,-the red
FLOODED being the quadrupeds, birds, serpe1ts,
fishes, aud cetacea the white blooded, the tesla.
cea crustacea, mollusca, and insects
First in importance in the animal kingdom are
the vertebrate animals, divided into four grand
divisions or classes, determined 10y the kind and
power of their movements, which depend on
their powers of respiration. Thus we have quad
rupeds, birds, reptiles, and fishes Quadru-
pedS, or, as they are properly called mammalia,
are placed as the fl rst and most important in the
classification of the animal kingdom, because,
besides being the class to which man be-
longs, they have the most delicate sensa-
tons, the most varied powers of motion.
ana possess superior intelligence ami more
numerous faculties. Mammalia as applied 10
animals, may BE- defined US having warm blood.
heart, lnngs, a I'd BRAIN as bringing forth their
young alive, and nourishing them by means of
milk.
Mr.. Paine described somewhat in detail the
characteristics of the several ORDERS illustrating
his remarks with drawings and specimens of an
finals. He presented to the society a specimen
of the Leopard Spernophile an animal similar
to the squirrel and the marmot, seeming 10 form
n connecting link between them.
Mr.. George w, Holden read a very interesting
paper Oh the department of Paleontology- the
science of fossils. He exhibited some very fine
specimens from his private collection, and they
Well served 10 illustrate the subject. After the
| formation of the primary or azoic rocks the la
| Dor of the Paeontologist commences. For while
| the Geologist deals with the land, the Paleonto
ogiSt deals with the inhabitants, AMI all evdenc-
es of life from its earliest birth TO the present
| epoch. As a science PaleOntoogy has engrossed
the attention of eminent naturalists since the day
| of its founder, Baron Cuyier, and each year adds
interest to it from the results Of careful and pro-
| gressive scientific investigations. We find petr-
| hcationS denoting the existence of life ages
| before the creation of human beings. Start
| ling as is the fact it is nevertheless proved
by scientific researches, beyond a reasonable
| doubt How we of the nineteenth century can
| communicate with an Era which occurred ages
before the creation of man by means of the pet
| rltaclonS which are SO bounttully dispersed over
| ticent to awaken the keenest inquiry and atten-
| ton, and it has induced many of the finest scho
| airs of the present and past century TO devote
their life TO the study. Although the same evil
| dences of early life which are now opened to our
careful study, to great extent were us fully re-
Vealed in centuries past, still il is within com
parative recent pero that the subject has begun
to receive the attention its importance demands
In our researches among the deposits of clay
and mari after the different varieties of fossil re-
arpN will no hal
lowed past. shell or fragment of coral car
res our thoughts back to the time when the dry
land began 10 appear after the refrigeration of
the earths surface permitted organic life. The
process by which nature has trans formed plants
and animals into solid rocks by secreting
mineral matter as the animal or vegetable mat
ter decays, Is truly wonderful. Precisely how
this interchange of animal and vegetable mat
ter with mineral was conduciei, so as to
leave US the numerous specimens of shells and
| other things, denoting the existence of living
creatures at such an early age is not known; but
so perfect is this interchange that II correct sim
| lie IN form is bequeathed to succeeding ages so
| that we are by this means enabled TO know TO a
| great extent the kinds OF animals and plants
which existed thousands of ce1turIeI before the
creation of human souls. 1t may be said that |
nature makes fossils the tombstones of whatey- |
er departed life they represent inScribing in very
delicate lines an epitaph from which We may |
read their namc, age, and in the case of come
the condition in which they died We would |
like TO make more extended abstract of Mr.. |
Hoden'S instructive remarks, did not space for |
bid.
Mr.. Charles w Gilbert real a report on the |
Mexican peccary, or wild hog The specimen |
reported on was obtained in Mexico, several
years ago, by Mr. John Eaton, and being b. ought
to this city, was presented TO w. + Green, Esq
1t Is remembered by many of citizens for It's
vicious propensties, and was killed because of
them.
Many valuable contributions were received
that of Dr. q. H. Sherman of Brooklyn, Y de-
serving special mention. 1t included specimens
| in the departments of miueralogy, botany, ento-
mology, herpetoogv, and comparative anatomy.
| Other contributors were Messrs. Frank A. Bar
| ton, Chico, California; VIM. A Smith, Nathaniel
Paine, L NJ. Barton, Mrs. John W. Wetherell
and Miss Helen NJ Kuowlton. Fine specimens
of the croSs-bill, which recently excited so much
attention, were presented by Mr. VIM A. Eager
| of Worcester.
The society unanimously elected Dr. G. II.
Sherman of Brooklyn, n Y, a corresponding
| member.
MISS CoNNoRs class in gymnastics will meet
llE Hon I'm