The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-05

sea-Wraek (Mdcrocgsiis) grows wildly, havln9
straight round stem, that comes up from the
long Reaching the surface, it spreads out two
long tapering leaves that float upon the water.
This sea.forest Is the fayortte hunting
think the octopus often catches prey
on the ground or on the rocks, but waits
for 1t as the spider does. Fastening one arm to
a stout stalk, and stifening out the other seven,
one would hardly know 1T from the wrack ia
which it is concealed. Patiently he bIdes his
time, until presently shoal of fish come gayly
on th,TSeadting their way shrcGgh the sea trees
close at hand. Two or three of them rub
ag9inst the arms-fatal touch ! AS though a
powerful electric shock had passed through the
fish and stricken it senseless so does the arm of
the octopus paralyze its victim; then winding
a sucker-clad cable around the palsied fish, as
an elephant winds his trunk around anything to
be conveyed to the mouth, he draws the dainty
morsel to the centre of the disk where the
beaked mouth seizes upon and soon disposes OF
the prey.
delcacy, and is skilful in capturing him.
Padding his canoe close to the rocks, and
quietly pushing aside the wrack, he peers
through the crystal water until his practised
eye detects an octopus, with great rope-ike
arms stifiened, waiting patiently for food.
Passing his spear some twelve feet long, care
fully through the water until within an inch
or two of the centre disk, he plunges it into
the mass. Writhing with pain and passion, the
and now commences the struggle
Were the octopus once TO get its thong
like Ieeler over the side of the canoe, 1T could
as easily haul 1t over as a child could basket.
Making the side of the canoe tulcrum, the
fisherman raises the monster 10 the surface,
keeping him at a good distance. He ts dan
gerous now. II he could get fast hold on
either savage or canoe, nothing short OF chop
ping off the arms piecemeal would be of any
avail. With second spear he strikes the octo-
pus where the arms join the disk. This seems
to break down the nervous gangleons supplying
motive power, and the arms lose at once their
strength and tenacity. Their suckers, which
moment before held on with force which ten
men could not overcome, now relax, and the
entire rag hangs lifeless mass"
The kraken and the colossus, and even the
sea-serpent may yet be seen perhaps.
If the infusoral animalcul@ can aggregate
vast qualifications of rock, the molluscs heap
up mountain ranges that shall defy the waste
and wear of ages. If the polyps can build
reefs that shall girdle our continent, or form
the basis of islands, surely man, who is endowed
with the power of thought and speech, who can
Plan, as well as build and prosecute, should
be able to rear in our beautiful city build
ing that shall be adequate to all scientific
purposes, and remain beauty and JOY for
many generations.
The Nautilus POmpilius.
The lecturer subsequently described the nautj-
tIS pOmpitluS as tolloWs:-Its texture Is COM
posed OF two distinct layers, the outer one
pOrcelain.like and Opaque, white in color,
while the inner layer is pearly. The Chinese
and others have avaied themselves of this
structure to carve Il variety OF bas-relief pat
terms from the porcelain layer, producing
pleasing effect by using the pearly layer as
background. A similar effect is produced on
the cypraea, by the action of acid, thus exhibit
ing landscapes, buildings, verses or notices,
and they are much priced as fancy articles.
The porcelain layer must be altogether re-
moved by the action Of muriatic acid. The
| pearly surface may then be rubbed down care
nnlVpriZpd
| paper, until all the inequalities are removed,
| when an exquisite polish may be almost in
stanly given by rubbing the surface with
paste made of equal parts of sulphuric acid
| and rotten stone. HYH
The internal arrangement of the shel is
curious and instructive. At distances increasing
with its growth septa or pearly layers thrown
across, dividing of these portions as they sue
cessively become too small to accommodate the
animal. syphuncle or membranous tube runs
| through the centre of these partitions and cham
oers, IN which the animal is lodged. From
| thirty to forty of these apartments are formed
IN the shell, and their use appears to be that
OF air-chambers, lessening at convenience
the specific gravity OF the, shell, so
| as to diminish its retarding influence upon
the motions of the molluscs. In the fossil
| genera, the septa, or divisions, were in many
cases highly complicated and ornate in struc-
ture. These differences in the forms of the
! septa afford reliable data for the discrimination
! OF the Species The shells of the Tetra-hau-
chiates are extremely elongated narrow cones,
! which are either straight as in the genus
! Baccul1tes, hook-shaped as in the Hamites, or
! spiral and discoidal, as in the Ammonites.
The Use Made of MOIIuslxs.
-, After enumerating some of the uses to which
| the molluscs are put, the lecturer said:-To a
vast extent do they supply food for man First
ana most, the oyster. You are familiar with
the animal and the fact. The cuttle-ish are
considered delicacy in France, Italy, and the
East, as they were by the Greeks and Romans
scarcely an inhabited coast III the world where
numerous species are not, eaten. "Clam -bakesD
are one New England institution, used princi
Pally IN times OF political excitement, for the
| purpose OF securing votes, on the principle
suppose, that the way to a mans political
Opinions is down his throat. "WInks" and
cookies are staple articles in all the maritime
markets OF England. The cardium abounds at
TGfoay. ;tI They may be easily seen at low tide
Will VIII the red'tubes appearing Just above the
| surface. The people call them 7red noses. - and
I 5ney are much priced. Naturalsts have not
ueclueu whether the constant use of these mol
re IonI is tne secret OF so many red noses among
'nT nus nshellnen Sl OF that coast. Daughter
| o,,l tne ~ ~IectuIef then spoke of the mechanical
nd and OtnaInehtal uses of some of the molluscs,
moiluscs have had something To do with tbe
past history and present condition of our globe.
| great economy "-' "'V Vi'eil ParI III Vne
| 9ou0t not the vertebrate. who are above us
| III lhe scale of intelligence and activitv will
aLso hoDly fulfil their appointed mission. and 60,
5IHI9?ugh the combined efforts of species and in.
u4LSH9HHals, the affairs of our world will move
ssee9llS on 10 the destined issue of the end.
millinery TRIMMINGS ErH