The Portland daily press., 1873-10-14
Work Of the Fish Commission.
PEAKS IsLAOD, Me.

PEAKS lSLAOD, Me.
The following summary of the Summers
work of the American Fish Commission,
which appeared in the New York Times, Las
been prepared by an eminent scientist.
propose to give you graphic account of
some of the curious creatures encountered
this season-odd, eyeless animals, that our
dredges and travis. as they have scraped
along the bottom, have torn from their native
mud or rocky cradles and brought squirming,
painting: and swelling to our view. Up from
the cold, dense atmosphere OF water that has
surrounded them, TO our upper world, where
for the first time they have felt light. / say
felt, for many of them have no visual organs,
vet show sensitiveness to the influence OF
light, and only in the dark recover from their
fright and develop into their natural propoi-
tiOns.
Many rare and valuable specimens can only
be appreciated at their true value by those to
whom experience has divested the more
common species of their rarity; and between
countless varieties of worms and crustacea
the apparent differences are too slight to at
tract attention from casual observer. Yet
slight as are the differences, each may, and
sometimes does, mark an important point In
knowledge. Two communicating clans are
found ito me they look alike,yet one OF them is
of no value. 1t was expected that it would be
found in this latitude. The oti er, differing
but by slight marks, almost unnOtceable, is
indeed '1find'' Cape Cod is a dividing line
upon our coast. South of it one class of
creatures are found III proiusion. but the quo
hog clam, certain star fishes and worms, and
the oyster have not existed, or, having exist
ed, have become extinct north of this line.
except in very few localities. A live Cdhs-
ta cOnueIG Ia species of clam) brought up IN
Casco Bay, upset at once the opinion held TILL
- "a ot forr OnOh0U
shells in plenty we find in the ancient Indian
shell-mounds which dot every slope OF the
island, showing that once they existed in
, plenty. Now but one little bay-a mere cove
at the head of Casco Bay-turnishes this
creature which, south OF Cape Cod, IS but
the common plentiful clam. Oyster shells, OF
size to which Saddle Rock is but pigmy,
lie thickly planted six feet below the present
bottom Of Portland harbor, They, too, how
ever. are extinct. In that great CONFUSION of
nature that was so sweeping in its effects not
a living oyster was left to fulfill a mission.
But the ocean is still well filed, aud with
fruits and flowers, with vegetables and plants,
masons and well diggers, robbers and canni-
balls, and each bearing in a greater or less de-
gree resemblance, either in appearance or
habits, to the creature or object above water
that it is named for. Way down in the dark
depths animal life utilizes every inch OF
ground, and no square foot above the surface
can equal in number or variety of forms the
same space at the bottom of the sea. Strange,
odd, horrible creatures. with none or many
ewes, with speckled bodies, aud long, Shiny,
clinging arms, changing at once theiK form
and size at will, and, like the genii OF the
Arabian Tales, from a mere starting pol1S ex-
tend themselves almost indefinitely in size.
Beautiful creatures, too, as the anemones and
| dahlias, at first frightened and Jared as we
see them in the dredge, mere masses OF pink
and purple flesh, covered with a tough skin
left to themselves in cool, dark place they
protrude from an opening in their bodies,
| clusters of gay colored and gracefully moving
| antenn@, which in some branch like coral, IN
| others bear close resemblance to the stamens
| and petals of flowers. Living, breathing
| food od-devouring flowers, and the kitchen gar
den, too, and orchard, are not unrepresented.
| Sea cucumbers, sea peaches, and apples, are
! found in plenty, the former so close simlie
| of the fruit both in form and color, that IL
| could be mistaken the one for the other.
| The flowers, though beautiful as they are,
| are but brigands; those graceful petals wave
! but to entice and grasp victim, Wnicn
| when seized, is pressed close to Its mouth,
;nd then, even if larger than its cap.or, u.s rs
| swallowed whole. The process OF swallow
| inc whole a morsel larger than the swallower,
| is Pa tter an unusual proceeding among AMI
mails. and OF course an unusual method mas
to be- adopted. The anemone does it this
way; holding tightly its prey, it gradually
nrotrut,es its stomach from its mouth, and
turning It inside out, envelopes its dinner,
| and then it lies quietly awaiting the death
and digestion. 1t rejects such portions as
are not suitable, and slows away its stomach
for future use. What blessing some men
would este.m this faculty to be.
The sea cucumber is another curious crea-
ture. First found it is small, compact
..gherkin;' ? left to itself, it will swell and de
velop to IN Immense cucumber, quite large
enough t. make boat OF.
Starfsi we find in great numbers and va
rieties, different according to the character o
the bottom. The common ''fve-fingereC
jack isfound everywhere. Perhaps he is 81
plentiful because of some .disagreeabe qualit,
about lin that prevents no. only the COO
/ hut th, more omniverous haddock from din.
ing upn him. Other starfish, such as thu
| brittle starfish, we find less plentiful, bu
Opening the stomach of well-ted cognsG sasl
| aiwas gives us specimens of them; o. 'n'