Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-12-04
A Chapter Of Subter0ceanic Wonders.

Forest and Stream has a communication
from Com. Beardslee, commanding the
steamer Blue Light, assisted by Pror. Yer
rill, of Yale College, from which W. copy
the following passages:
Cape Cod is a dividing line upon our
coast. South of it one class of creatures
are found in %profusion, but the quohOg
clam (the CdI1sta c0nyera), certain star,
fishes and worms, and the oyster, have
not existed, or, having existed, have be-
come extinct north of this line, except in
a very few localities. A live C01ist0 con-
gera Ia species of clam) brought up ia
Casco bay, upset at once the opinion held
till then that it was extinct so far north.
Quohog shells in plenty we find in ancient
Indian shell mounds, which dot every
slope of the island, showing that once
they existed in plenty. Now but one lit
tie bay-a mere GOV at the head of Casco
bay-turnishes this creature, which, south
of Cape Cod, is but the common plentiful
clam. Oyster shells, of a size to which
the saddle rock is but a pigmy, lie Tricky
planted six feet below the present bottom
of Portland harbor. They, too, however,
are extinct. In that great CONFUSION of
nature that was so sweeping in its effects,
not a living oyster was left to fulfil a
mission. 1t seems a sad mistake up here,
where oysters could be eaten every day in
the year, and the nightly blanket renders
supert1uous the mosquito bar. But the
ocean is still well filled, and with fruits
and flowers, with vegetables and plants,
masOns and well-diggers, robbers and
cannibals, and each bearing in a
greater or less degree 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
utilities every inch of ground, and no
square foot above the surface can equal in
number and variety of forms the same
space at the bottom Of the sea. Strange,
odd, horrible creatures, with none OF many
eyes, with speckled bodies, and long, Shiny,
clinging arms, changing at nee their
form and size at will, and, like the genii
Of the Arabian Tales, from a mere start
ing point extend themselves almost indefi-
nitely in size. Beautiful creatures, too, as
the anemOnies and dahlias, at first fright
ened and Jared as we see them in the
dredge, mere masses Of pink or purple
flesh, covered with a tough skin; left to
themself in a cool, dark place they pro
trude from an opening in their bodies,
clusters of gay cOlOred and gracefully
moving antenn2, which in some branch
like coral, in others bear close resemblance
to the stamens and petals Of flowers. Down
here the animal kingdom takes from the
floral tribe the duty of embellishing. Liv-
ing, breathing, food-devOuring flowers,
and the kitchen garden too, and orchard,
are not unrepresented. Sea cuCumbers,
(Pent0cct0 fr0nd0sal, sea peaches (Cynthiu
~pyrJormisl sea pears (Bo}ten5a claoohD and
apples, are found in plenty the former so
close a smile Of the fruit, both in form
and color, that it 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 a vic
tim, which, when seized, is pressed close
to its mouth, and then, even if larger than
its captOr, is swallowed whole. The pro-
cess OF swallowing whole a morsel larger
tnan the sWallOWer, is rather an unusual
proceeding among animals, and of course
al unusual method has to be adopted.
The 2ncmonie does it this way: holding
tightly its prey, it gradually protrudes its
stomach from its mouth, and turning it
inside out, envelopes its dinner, and then
it lies quietly awaiting death and digcs-
ton. 1t rejects such portions as are not
suitable, and slows away its stomach for
luJufc use Nhat a blessing some men
would esteem this faculty to be.
The sea cucumber is another curious
creature: first found it is a small compact
"gherkin;' left to itself, it will swell and
develop to an immense cucumber, quite
large enough to make a boat of, if the sea
urchins had the same habits as did those
urchins Of whom | was once one.
Startish we find in great numbers and
varieties. different ACCORDING tn tho char
acter of the bottom. The common Give
fingered Jack" is found everywhere, and
at each haul of the dredge, whether from
mud or rocks, "0sterlas culgaris" is the
! first object called out to the note taker.