Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-02-24

2 Supreme power. Applause. NOW
with these facts before us, we can turi
: our attention more particularly to tn.
] animals Of the Amazon, and may sa!
: that they comprise two different type
T of the same animal We find in tht
Amazon, i'm these fresh waters, n1ollusks
/ and they belong to two classes. We find
in the Amazon artieulates, and they
belong TO two classes. We fin-
! worms and erustacea. We finf verte'
hratcs ia the Amazon, and they
belong to more than one class. We
have fishes and we have also reptiles,
and among them somc that are aquatic
while Others are terrestrial; we have
birds. some Of which are aquatic and
Others aerial and terrestrial, and we have
mammalia or quadrupeds, some Ofwhich
are aquatic, and not the least of the
singular features of the immense basin
of fresh water is the presence in 1t OF
several representatives OF the porpoise
family. The great family of whales, TO
which the porpoise belongs, has hYe
representative in the Amazon in tie
form of a variety of porpoises, and Of
that other singular animal which the
4 Brazilian calls the beshuybOy, and
\ which we have translated into tie
sea-cow, about which l shall have
/ something more to say hereafter.
( Then let us remember this, that is one
and the same stream, exhibiting this
unity of temperature of which / have
treated in a former lecture, we have
animals of different types of structure,
molIusks, articulates and Vertebrates:
while no radiates have ever been found
ia it; aud in these three types We have
representatives of several classes. Now
let me see what classes they are, so that
| may impart more definite idea upon
that point. Glasses in the animal king
dom have long been circumscribed hy
naturalists to suit their fancy, or accord
ing to their impressions. 1t seems de-
sirable TO determine the classes accord
ing to some principle; and the prin-
ciple which appears the most natural
as the basis of limitation of tue
class1s, Is the various modes of execution
Of these plans of structure. After show
ing YOU that vertebrages have one COM
mon plan of structure, We will divide
that type into classes according 10 the
manner in which that plan IS carried out
If the backbone is constructed in the
fashion of fishes, il il consists of spiues
of backbone which are united together
by double cOnical cavities if the flesh is
white and arranged in large masses on
the sides of the backbone If the Or
gans Of respiration are gi5ls instead of
lungs; if the organs Of inhalation eX-
hibit a heart which has only single sack
from which the blood is propelled TO
all parts of the body, and another
sack to receive the blood which comes
from all parts of the body, instead of the
complicated circulation which We find in
birds and in mammalia-we say that We
have here one mode of execution of The
Of sf,af zrsn VIa N
considering fishes as a natural class. If,
on the contrary, we have animals which
have warm blood, which breathe
through the lungs, which have double
circulation, the body of which, instead
of being covered with scales, is covered
with feathers, if these animals, in bring
ing forth their young, lay eggs upon
which they sit, producing young which
they rear, we have indications OF another
mode Of execution of that plan of verte-
brates and we consider ourselves justi-
fed in calling birds class in the animal
kingdom, aud so on. Now, among mol
lusks, we have three classes, one Of which
is particularly characterized by the man
ner in which the parts are arranged on
the two sides of the body, in broad flap
pers, or broad curtains hanging on the
sides of the axis, and generally protected
by hard shells that are double, that is,
one on each side and that class en-
braces all the so-called bivalve shells.
or this class the Amazon con-
tains considerable variety, and
so DO all our fresh waters, our
rivers and lakes. In the ocean
there are numerous forras but no one
of these bivalye shells living upon
the land, or in the atmosphere, or that
can sustain itself outside of water. Then
we have another class among these mol
lusks, which embrace ali those the body
of which has respiratory organs only on
one side OF the bOdy-namely, the body
of which is more or less twisted, fre-
quently coiied ~ in p spiral and in
which the anterior end of the bOGy Is
provided with appendages looking sDme-
thing like horns-tentacles frequently,
at the end of which are eyes, like our
snais. They constitute a second class.
OF this class of snails we find quite s. va
riety in the fresh water in the Amazon,
and in still greater variety upon land,
living upon trees and decaying wood, or
upon the soil, burrowing in the earth |
during the dry season. So that of the /
three classes of mollusks which exist /
all over the world, we have representa-
tives of two in the fresh water of the |
Amazon, and of one Of those two we |
find also rene sentatives on land. There |
is a curioag fastpre among thege fresh |
water EiFaiVe shells to which | Will here |
allude-theiT strange resemblance to /
marine shells, notwithstanding the diff /
ference of their internal structure. You |
all know how numerous fresh water /
muscles are in our waters, and how /
great is the diversity of the fresh water |
shells in the western waters. The |
Ohio aud it, tributaries, lhe Ten |
nessee and the Cumberland rivers, and |
the rivers that empty into the gulf /
OF Mexico, and all the southern rivers, |
teem with a variety Of bivalve shells, all |
of which have the same internal .truc- |
ture, consisting Of this illustrating by |
draw ing the parts as described) that |
the middle axis may be protrHded IN Ehe /
shape of a fieshy foot, with which the /
animals creep on the ground or in the |
wood. At the sides are two flappers,
which surround The mouth, TO aid in in-
Producing food into the alimentafg-
ity. Then there are two gills hanging |
right and lett Inside here is a sack |
which contains the organs and here Is
large fiesby mass which extends across
the body, and here another 50 that |
upon transverse section OF these /
animals We would see one valve |
turning this wsy and the other that |
way. And here is one Of those fleshy |
buailes extending from one valve TO /
another SO as % pFing them together /
and here is another Now these fresh |
water shells of ours vary in external |
appearance greatly. Some are small |
and have q thin shell, and have an |
oVate farm. lthets aye elongated in |
this way; Others are more triangular |
others have tuhercles on their surface |
others have spines projecting from the |
surface others have rows of ribs thus, |
and others rows of ribs in this manner. |
But while tine different species thus diff |
fer in their external appearance, their /
internal structure is everywhere the |
same. The sppCies of the Amazon have |
another curious featlTe-that they are not !
only Identical in structure With our |
own and IDENTICAL among themselves IN |
structure, but their external ferns are |
the marine shells, wRich have totally |
different structure. Those among you |
who know the shell of the rasOT-tish, |
called the rssdr-sksli; Ia very slelder and !
straight shell of this fOrm), will De sur |
prised to hear that there are fresh-water |
shells of that form in the Amazon, |
which resem bles the sOlens S.s this is |
al,ed ~ paturalistsl, have all the inter |
nal struptuFe OF our cOnmOn lresh-Ea ater /
muscles. There are others which |
haVe the external appearances Of the |
mothar-of pearl biYalFe shell, exhib-
iting the external appearance OF
that groBp. A. third variety exhibits the !
PecullariJies Of our area, having trans |
verse waves alternating with burrows, |
such as are only known in the family of
the l..Gri2e area, and yet found in some |
OF these fCesh NRtsr Fbe,is. What does !
that mean . 1t is difficult to say why |
there should be, rs it were, u reminis- |
cence OF tbe Ses sm0ps animals Of the
fresh wateFs, gupeFimpossd upon strpc-
.tIre which has no singqlarity to the |
structure OF these marine shells ! can |
only see in this the working OF mind, |
which combines elements diversified |
among themselves, and hardly any in
diEstion Of the transformation of one
type into tho other. Rgt, without ex-
pressing decided opinion about IL, let |
me tell you that those are the iacts |
upon WlIigh patVralists agree, and !
in CONSEQUENCE OF wAlch they pre-
sent such various opinions, sQqh conflict |
ing views. The naturalist who reeog- !
nizes only this similarity between the
shells Of the Amazon and the marine !
shells, viii ct -O1ce Juan az the cOnclu- |
sion that the Amazon valley was once |