New-York tribune., 1867-02-19
THE AMAZON.

laStC
r.n,.s AND GENTIENEN: Inc "Iu".S - 1Stlcn VI
,s,op.ive fresh water BASIN mas man. - Nus Va in''i
any - IN the first place view II III reference to
ssI VIC n"y, ,,ese animals cOmr6red with that of
'N' 80 terrestrial beings. We may examine them
-, ferepce 10 their geographical distribution az con
,,cd with those which inhalit the sea OF the ah' "
- lso xamine theT1 with reference TO their variety
- ne diversity which exists among them uhoer' "I''
rtv Identical circumstances This last point Is one OF
iut,resi because YOU viii perceive thai II eAter-
al ,rcunTstsnccs have had deep influence III oiS"S
sbout the variety OF living beings which we ma e'e'9
,sLere on the surface Of the earth We sh"u" 'APe'
,a e,eat similarity among animals living close
,oc.ther undcr identical circumstances shut ont nom
an, ,leuces OF the great changes which are constantly
taking place in the atmosphere shut out from te ere"
diversity of the bottoms which are found along the sea
.bores and crcumsonbed within limits very SIinI"I'
Nov the Amazon above all the rivers Of the earth pre-
cents variety OF organized beings which is suPeuous,
,beb exceeds all conception and which was matter o
surprise even me, who had devoted my ie emery 10
the study of fishes. will, therefore, try To give you
some idea this diversity. Ireget ony tha' cauho'
snddeny nnpart you the interest which have iet TOT
n long time in these animals Unknown and umnteIcSt
ing m their WAYS they have generally been neglected
Pew natalsts turned their attention to them "hd
an afraid You will fl id my lecture rather nonotohonS
NJ, - Won viii for moment consider that knowledge
f these beings important bearing on some OF
tbe most important questions which are now under
.s,scussiop among natrIalists, hope You Will
follow me IN the details which am about 10 submit 10
yout But first allow me to say Few words conc.Uihng U @
ihe structure of aquatic animals I'm The niaDcy OI our
scieuce. animals were CLASSIFIED that i were hought l
Cethcr ia groups, according 10 the conditions under which
iey found in nature. II you viii turn ONerthe WORKS
If great uaralsts of the eleventh century you VIII
find that their descriptions of the animals then known
are arranged under but few heads, one embracing the
aquatic animals, another the terrestrial OF creeping " ~
lnals and other the aerial or flying animals But m
proportion information OF the strucult Ot an tse
teings been growing has been FOUND ta ese eA
bfnr together in the same haitation those wmch nave
,0W t find in the water animals of the most diversified
classes or find the diversity among those when
result of modern Investigation TO discover that ANIMALS,
however numerous. however varied are alter an "ao m
upon four plans Of structure only Those plans are
very simple, and may be recognized easily ana ana
20 simple that You will permit me for
% Inoment 10 call your attention 90 that point.
iaSs around central axis-that is they radiaed in
structure aud figure like this draws stars arShapea p
formula expressing those pecuar1tieS OF structure sup
stancc it will be found TO have live pouches laa5nE ~
five different directions suppose that We CoslutE te
fve swe6Dgs with the same directions as the i%Ne %
ronches Of the stomach; five rays or threads
she ends Of the threads there may he eyes
The oyares VIII be ARRANGED ~ te SUM stint lc, h W Nm &
here another there Aud all these parts are so ar
ranged central axis that they arc like spokes Of
wheel-ray around vertical axis; and in that axis We
the mouth at the center SO these animals o%%S %
20 this peeuiai1ty OF constitution, arc uSy G'lieu %
Radatcs Now Of those we do not find any IN the ANA
do find III the treSh waters eNCtpi ole'
the simplest kind OF polyp' the iSsr -, N"'fs
loiyp, or lush polyp, as is eal'T g, MAJ trI args -
family which is inumeIabe in salt water,
such The cyheS s51Ss star aTd me G Ma
have existed not only at an umeS % during @ seoog nDno
EVERYWHERE in the ocean but which represeuta
land, aud but few very simple ones IN the fresh
called mUllusks embrace animals the body OF which IL
eymmc Tca. the parts Of which arranged around two
sdes Of longitudinal axis that these animals have an
anterior aud posierlor Pr-a part hat u above ana
case with the radiaes for adiaes may in
TIE direction of either of these raysey have no
be right aud us left. but II you call hS front,
@ ase II an P sPsTy 4 s 30 you described
night and which the left side which is the part that +
ebOye, and Which is the part that IS below Not 50 with
the nousks They have internal features which deter
their relation their symmetry and fix the position
their parts in manner which enables ms 10 distinguish
well as the right and left aud above and below To This
oysters aud the like, the snail and the cutie fishes also.
Part II them are aquatic animals that inabit the sea-
part Of Them are fresh water fishes and part of them arc
teutktral animals so you see here We have animals OF
tbe fondaiu Of the classification Of the whole animal
hiurion OF tts type there are several classes three
aud i, tfcu shall refer presently, as We have
nunber Of Representatives " them in the fresh water ami
which have two valves are either fresh Ner or Idane
che greater Part 1owSyer marine and the less h9noe'
eDd generally wound hp N SPIRAL, ~ have ss"
JDsOrity in the bat ir fresh weter ana some
land. 0f the cutie-fish class there in fresh
water none are terrestrial bnt all Of them are marine.
And they been inhabitants of globe from the
very earliest periods of the ears history during which
gpiinas have lived upon IT, ! may represent the
IN the nsekboard the anterior end marked by some
IJOInnent which indicates something Ofa head
Not all however have the anterior very different
from the pOsterOr. longitudinal axis on the side OF
which organs are arranged FoI Instance IN the oyster
pair Of gills each side so that the respiratory
organs are placed on tue Iight ana on the
left; whle about the sides of the mouth are
those flat app1dagcs, with the aid Of which these
animals introduce food into their mouths and the organs,
the utestnes the Ovares the heart ana the organs OF
respiration are clustered IN the center now the manner
IN which these several parts are protected by she'll are
accessory details Of their structure which cause the di
ierent families, different genera and different species
Then have another group which are called Arucuaes.
der, or 20 tube, but a tube divided INTO number Of
ungs movable one upon the other so at III TACT, the
n which arranged all the organs represent that IN
this way mskes drawing these transverse rings in
IiOr the alnlentary canal in the interior the respiratory
organs in the upper part the system mainly in
aud on the rings are frequently locomotive
sppendages in the shape Of limbs, which
woTins OF may be artcuated limbs as in the case Of
crabs lobsers insects. and tie like Now these articu
81 which there marine kinds, and fresh water kinds,
and terrestrial kinds II Of the class which has the
most extraordinary distribution, fol- found
everywhere. They are found even parasites in the
living beings they found in fresh water and salt
water and also IN the earth buFrOwing under the ground
Then we have the class OF crabs the cstaceans which
Ia next above and that OF insects which contain animals
breathing air and living ont Of the water So that
have here again, animals OF an aanatic or
terrestrial or aerial mode OF hfe ali showine o, ~
and the structure like TO insist upo" ooss-f,cts
"''n are Ins nss dncst brilliant result 81 Modern progress
G osR gSS SGs OF these OsHiHs hng. if
We have Identical structures under the most diversified
npon living beings cannot have been the cause which has
produced such nnty ia Pih The unity OF Pii--& & -that
something higher than the conditions in which these
animals live, when we find that notwithstanding