The New York herald., 1867-02-19

man, quadruped, or q bird or Q reptile or lizard
these structures differ only IN the application Of this
execution in the form In which 1t is clothed, but in
no way does the plan differ In the slightesl
the relations TO one another II We
compare section in the body with another ons
made through the head or through the middle Of te
BODY or through the hind part Of the body again do we
find the relation, wonderful the ideal concep
ton which manifested in these mnnmerable variety OF
types And let me say TO You that this Is not fan cful
assumption The Professor here drew o represen. alton
Of the framework Of the structure OF the CLASSES Of
aquatic animals he was describng My assertion Is trur
that in whatever region OF the body We may make a
section TO examine the relative position Of erssns in the
vertebrate we nd the organs identical bearing the
relation to one another And II time would permit me
could readily show you that whatever the form OF the
animal, whether IL be fish or a eerp0nt whether a
lizard or turtle bird the relations are the same
and the differences are chiefly differences in form and
development And ia in consequence Of this great
similarity that the idea has been started that all these
animals may be derived from the other;
successive modncsons Of The % ne Yoa s.e
on the one hand, We have these uniform differences
wnicn sustain the most diversified forms; and then
again we nave this unity OF pan which seems TO be in
contradiction to the variety Of influences under which
tnese ANIMALS exist then again extraordinary diver
Sly OF forms, which seem to indicate the most diver
sinoa orign ana yet such similarity among this variety
OF things that seem TO be unique modification Of one
OF the other No wonder. therefore that investigators
should differ in their opinions 30 much-that there
should BE those who cannot conceive Of this diversity
unless oe the immediate manifestation Of the special
creative act on the part OF being capable Of producing
al once perfect beings while others Inclined perhaps
70 follow the progress Of simple development more
70 70 cn :. .ne Fss Cause Of all things would have it
that every thing is derived from few primary forms
when nave undergone extraordinary changes In the
course OF time. To this subject shall re.
present TO the bearing which these investigations
OF relation have upon the question of diversity
ana ami upon the question Of unity IN diversity In one
which exists throughout nature while from another
point OF view everything seems different And when
We come 70 consider what may be the origin OF all things
We are al once led on the hand to the evidence Of
the working OF one mind and the other hand to the
TACT OF the changing conditions under which everything
ves And IN consequence OF that there are these va
rious opinions, some assuming that ali thinrs have
grown out OF the change OF few things and others as
sumng that everything must have been was made
oy supreme power. Now with these facts before u.s.
we can turn attention more particularly TO the ami
mails that inhabt the waters Of the Amazon Now may
.ha. 'ney oeo1s 70 the different types Of the animal
kingdom we nnd IN the fresh waters OF the Amazon
moiiusks. and they belong to two classes We find In
the Amazon artcuase and they belong to two classes
and they belong to more than one class We have fishes
and We have also reptiles and among them aome that
are aquatic while others are terrestrial We have birds
some OF winch are aquatic and others aerial and terres
tr1a we nave quadrupeds some or which are aquatic
ana not the least Of the singular features OF this i'm
mense basin Of fresh water s the presence Ia il OF sew
era representatives OF the porpoise family The great
family OF whales 70 which the p0rpolse belongs has Ave
representatives in the Amazon in the form Of variety
habits only the fresh waters respecting which shall
have something more 70 say hereafter And now among
ticulary characterized by the manner in which the pars
are arranged. There are two sides to the BODY with
hanging des and an axis generally protected BY hard
smell doubled on each side and that class embraces all
these molusks that known by the name of bivave
shells Or this variety the Amazon you will remember
CONTAINS considerable variety but no ono Of these b
valves ves long in the atmosphere sustains itself
ong outside the water Then We have another
class among the molusks embracing all those the bodies
body Of which more or less twisted or SPIRAL and IN
whom the anterior end OF the body is provided with
spPcndagcs looking Ike horns ana frequently at the
snd q which are eyes like those Of spails There are
wo classes Of this kind Of snas and OF these We md
quite large variety In the fresh waters Of the Amazon
ma sun greater variety living on the land and exist
ing on the trees or IN decayed wo0d buYrowng deep
10 the earth during the dry season So OF tbe three
Glasses Of molusks which exist all over the world We
Of the Amazon and one OF these two we and slso
sented on the land rhere is curious feature among
me bivalves Of the fresh watea strange resemblance
bance between them, there is great difference in their
interior structure You al know how numerous the
wa'er molusks are and what great diversity Of
tne cnase nhabits our Western watcrR The Ohio and
It's tributaries and the Tennessee and Cumberland rivera
and tho rivers that empty into the Gulf of Mexico have
many varieties OF them, and all the Southern rivera tecm
with variety OF bvalve shells which have the same
internal structure and which consists In isthat the
mdale axes may be parted. and on the s,des Of the
nead are TWO happers which surround the mouth and
bead Tor introducing the food into the amenary cavity
Then there two broad gs coating the right and left
nna s me nssny rssn. portion Inside s the sack
which extends from one valve 70 another across the
BODY, SO that In the transverse section Of the
nat way and have 1eshy bundle extending from one
valve 70 another These shells vary In external anneor
ance greatly: Some are smooth and have thin shell
md an oval form, while others elongated and others
still are more triangular, while again with others the
spine projects from the surface while with others the
ribs extend in this way All these different species
~ fUeop olv tbai~
structure is entirely similar T species in the Amazon
nave another curious feature They are not only den
cal with our known Shells and identical among them
selves but at the same time the external form s similar
70 the marine SHE'LL with, however, different structure
some OF these shells are called razor shells,
rom the fac that they have very slender and almost
straight shells Now you might be surprised TO hear
that there are some fresh water shells Of this form n
The river Amazon, which differ from all others known to
exist and which have all the internal structure
10 fresh water mollusks Others, again, with the in
erna structure Of fresh water, still have the external
appearance OF mother OF pearl bivalve she'll These ex-
bit all the pecuaritee of the group while Others re-
,embe the area Now what does that meanf Il Is
iifcult TO see why there should be- were, resem.
oiances and TO see among animals Of the fresh water
species animals Of the kind which have no similarity
with the structure Of marine shclla In this we can
,ny perceive the working Of mind which combines all
he elements diversified among themselves and indica.
ions OF transformation Of type into another But
without expressing an opinion on this point let
cannot agree and in consequence Of which
hey present such various opinions and such conctinR
news. Naturasts VINO only recognize the similarity
,etween the shells Of the ver Amazon and the marine
hels win at once jump 70 the conclusion that the val
ey OF the Amazon was once under the sea- and which
IN she space Of time in Of its parts and % re-
naped, and while its basin changed into fresh
watef basin In OF time these shells changed But
While these shells have mot the internal structure OF the
marine shell. must be remembered that the external
structure Of the shell hasbeen modified a. 10 have
yven them the common character which nhey agree
70 closely TO each other; and thus not only
lgree with the other theory, but agrees with
he conformation Of the other fresh water
hells In other parts Of the world. But some
pther have been work. There must have been
ome change which impaired unity. notwithstanding
he change, and unity which extends not only TO the
liver Amazon, but 10 other parts Of the world The
world has more mysteries than our philosophy has
athomed thus far and which cannot compass within
system. In the infancy Of time all the in
labtants Of freeh water were called fishes; and Il il
,ny In proportion as becoming acquainted with
he structural difference Of these classes Of fishes en-
,racing much that s varied in structure and pan
,as become gradually referred 10 different classes
will now pass on 70 the fishes proper. The Espredo
extends 70 and Ia found in South America az also
ire the polyperdes These have q coat Of mail,
" which the alligator isa type. This is a nsh with
long snout, then rising back, long TAIL slender
,ody the surface OF which covered with angular scales
70 hard that IL will resist the stroke OF steel The animal
grows 70 considerable length, and have seen them
wclve feet long In the Lower Mississippi There Is