Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-10-25
SCIENTIFIC.
NOTES ON sOME FoBMs OF ENFUs0.
RTAL LkFE.
PAPER READ BEFoRK THE MEMPHIS MICRO
scoPIuAL SOCIETY, ocT0HEE l5s 1874, BT
MR.. A. D. DOD.


A PAPER Rad BEFoEE THE MEMPHIS MICRO
scoPIcAL SOCIETY, ocT0HEE l5s 1874, 81
MR. a =. DoD.
1 have selected this subject because,
first, the most generally Interesting branch Of
microscopic research = found n the stacy OF
requires no special SKIN Of any kind, nor high,
costly magnifying powers Anyone with
maud an entrance into n strange, mysterious
and beautiful world. As 10 the manner OF
! outset, thai the idea that every drop OF water
! We take contains millions Of living creatures
| II, like most other popular ideas, simply
I popular error. An examination OF fresh els
tern or river wafer Will be almost sure 70 dis
close nothing living, unless, perhaps few
water-heas skipping gaily around. But go 10
ire nearest pond, especially one that has
siender-eeVed vegetation growing in Its mar
gin; MI an opeu-mouthed bottle with a sam
| pie OF this water, taking care TO gather and
I place in IL a few leaves OF its vegetation, and
4 on examination with the microscope. 10 viii
be found that you have passed the threshold
| world II Is. Perhaps the lowest fOrm Of lie
which can observe, Is found IN the
minute black points darling 70 and fro
/ AS hurriedly and, 20 all appearances, rs fruit
| lessly as IL every one was swimming against
I time" Thee consider 10 belong to the genus
! Monad have brought 30 bear upon Them
power of seven bundled diameteTs a. they fit
across the field Of vision, but have never sue
eeeded IN making out auy detail OF an organ
ized stFueturef they still remain mere points
rdots, no organs OF any kind sunguishable.
, In the same drop you will also likely observe
! specimens OF the genus Paramecium-oyal-
| shaped bodies fringed with fine hairs (techni-
calls knows a. ella y, and no internal or
gans visible except certain dark spots or neu-
| ciei, which are Supposed TO act as ktOmachs.
| receiving and Stimulating its food. These
creatures propagate chiefly by Subdivision
/ construction ound It's middle growing
| tighter and smaller until IL falls In two, when
! each p lTtion proceeds at once to commence
] life on Its own hook. Professor Ehrenberg
calculates that n one month single indtvid-
n IA Il
! ing number OF two hundred and sixty-eignt
milionS And my own obs5 rvatiOn and read
| Ing lead me TO think the estimate not an eX-
travagaut one. To obtain these lower forms,
| however, n visit TO a pond Is not necessary.
/ IL aDy vegetable matter Is placed In water,
| they may be rsu upon 10 put in an appear
| ance in a few hours. AT hrst sight this
would eem to favor the theory Of spontaneous
/ generation. But late reseaTches-notablyt those
50 carefully conducted by the French sci
enlist, PaSseur-have proved cOnclnstVely
| that The germs of the living organisms are to
be found in The air, aud If access of AIR is de-
nled no life appe-ls- Cheulicaliy-pure water
mate into an lnfus on, but receiving no air
except such as bad been carefully filtered by
passing through cottonwood, showed no signs
of life after the lapse of several weeks, while
/ the same Infusion, exposed freely TO the air,
dev5 Hoped abundant infuSouiai life in a very
few hours. Perhaps in the same drop OF
water may be seen specimens OF that COM
mon but always interesting little creature
x. Pl,igoTis. It derives is name from the
douple disc of revolving ella with which IL
is crowned, and which the hfst observers,
seeing revolving in rapid motion, supposed
10 be veritable wheels, and gave the name OF
Wheel Bearers TO all the class that possess
this ciliary appendage. This species Is slug |
gish in its movements; may sometimes be |
observed crawling 6!ong after the "meaSur- |
ing-worm" fashion, sometimes swimming |
a ong slowly by means Of its revolving ella, |
but more generally anchored oy the sucker, |
with which its tail rs furnished 10 some rag /
meut of grass, etc. Hence we may examine |
this specimen at leisure. We md his most |
noticeable feature, after passing the double |
circle rQVoIVinH ella. looking ike tue ]
spokes of wheel IN rapid NOTION
Is very active gizzard, or msstiea-
observed, buslly and constantly engaged in
grinding up the particles of food which are
cast down into il by the miniature whin-
pools, caused by the revolving ella above.
Ard by adding a little dry carInlne 70 the
water. the course OF the particles can De
readily traced throughout his entire body.
The tsil-Sucker, and the peculiar nnger-like
probO scls just below the discs OF ella need
not be dwelt on here. The most astonishing
thing about the creature, Is It's extraordinary
tenacity Of life. II some baked mud from the
4 ottom of a sun-dTied pond be placed in
water, crop OF rotifers VIII De atiloSt sure 70
spring into instant ami active NE. Iney are
frequently found in the mud accumulated IN
the cutters along the caves OF houses, seem.
ing 10 erjOy a bIief resurrection whenever 1t
rains, and then lapsin< lack into the mum
my state until the next rain Or. Carpenter Is
my authority for the statement that they a'e
even found sometimes inside the cellular
spaces OF tue common bog-mosS. And some
species have been kept Tor thirty days IN a
vacuum with SulpAur1c acld ana Cnloiiue OF
calcium thus undergoing the most complete
deSslcatiOu IN At the art OF the chemist eau
effect; and yet, hen moistened they spring
again 10 life, as II this treatment was mater
OF not the slightest consequence TO them.
give also an outline sketch OF a rOtifer have
lately observed, which seems diSsimilar
seen figured described in the books
4 far more lively object is the Drachionus
ureeolaris here figured. III seems to consider ]
himself morally bound never to keep still for !
a single moment. the aimlessness with
which he darts around from side 10 tide, the
furious manner in which he lasbes out right
and len while mOored by his tai TO the glass
cover, his erratic ways generslly-cOnVince
ne that If there is such thing as 'emOtional
among ANNA lcules, this little fel-
ow has bad case of ii; Il must have been
hereditary in his family for several genera
be can be induced TO remain STILL and we } ,
hen ind that he posse ses a comparatively
complex organization, with masticating and :
figestlVe apparatus complete. And his tall Z
will be found a powerful muscular organ.
Another whimsical creature OF somewhat I
similar appearance can sometimes be seen
'siling along looking like an animated soup
plate inverted. In accordance with The time
lOnored Gus ON OF naiuralists-"the smaller n
Le illseot tLe o4ssst tilc heiiie is > 5lttsV
,reature tonly ABOUT tie one-one hundred
md hfLi eth part of an inch in length is called
'rerodina Patina. Few things are more com
cal than to see him while anchored by his
all to the glass cover, SEIZE a floating mOrsel
bigger than himself and shake il from side TO
Idle, for all the world like lutte
istens for the snaTling gruwl while watching a
lin. The shell, TO the top Of which !
haped like tnaL OF tine turtle, but perfectly
and his tail possesses the same
powerful sucker as the braehiarus; mastics-
DRY apparatus the same in general character
sites, but not so highly developed. Few mi
roscopic sights are 50 beautiful as that of
olopy OF vorticella, particularly 4 viewed by
ark-field Illumination. ON the black back
round are seen the pearly bells at the end OF
lender, thread-iike foot stalks, swaying
to and fro, or suddenly contracting q
pirally upon the mselves, the rows OF ella
r0und the mouth in rapid revolution, and
ashing Ike golden threads in The Light, the
littefIng OF The minute particles dashing T.
'ildly around in the tiny whirlpool caused
y this movement-all go TO form a micro
,opic aquatic scene which cannot fail to
rise the observer. As compared, however,
18th the rotifeTs, bracharus, etc, they rank
w in the scale Of Organization. They possess
o stomach, no masticating apparatus; but
he particles as received are thrust anywhere 4,
Ito the sarcode or soft flesh, where they re- u
lain until dissolved. seldom have failed in y,
DSlng numerous colonies OF these interesting -
ojects on blades OF grass which have Deen d
rowing 10 stsgnant water some time. Or
inarily but one bell grows on a stalk, but eI
,meilmes they grow in great clusters; / have | n
lunted nine on one siak. Another species r,
rows hranched like tree each branch bear ring a
living b=li, but cannot write OF this last
ON observation. Another species Of this 81
Imily Is trumpet shaped, as in annexed cut. o.
Its genera character istics Il is similar to "a
he bell-Shaped species. Occasionally have | =,
en one break loo-e from It's moorings, either =
= accident or design, and go sailing along Ie
ke an cratic rocket trailing It's long foot 81
alks behind il Even brief paper like the ! 81
resent would be incomplete without some si
ention of the tnbe-dwelling animalcules. l | go
ave never yet been able to secure single
'ecimen of these, but have no doubt
Ie ponds and lakes OF Arkansas
ould furnish sbundantly MT only these,
II new species never before figured or de-
ribed. The last number Of the Popular Sci II
C. Monthly contained an interesting article
l Meifeertd RfEgeils and FloScUloyfa OTaGtd, r.,
Mrs. Treat, which Is no doubt fresh n the ~
inds of most OF those present. l tbinE, NJ
)weVer, she is wrong In chasing the latter ~ ~
architect, IL not being the build a.
of it's tuce anv more, think, than we are ~
lders Of our bodies, Melieel "a, however, IS -
true architect, molding each pellet of which rs
n tube is composed and placing every one u
position with the exactntss and regularity IA
finished workman. The FlOSculIrid or ~
ia derives its name from the fringe OF long, W
re hairs which crown each OF its six lObes. ~
'oper Illumination ShOS rs these as dense, III
Dg clusters of ella, quivering in the light
IN delicate blush green lustre. The
eatures house is perfectly transparent,
lstinous tube very like a confectioner's
ass Jar in appearance, requiring deli re-
te focusing and Illumination TO render IN
ds up its masses OF eliza and. to mn
e term more forcible than elegant, gii
uats down in its transparent house. But no
rhaps the most beautiful of ali the animal m,
lie tribe Is the one dgniiied with the title of m,
tephanosoeros Elchomii" She dwells in a hi
iatinouS looking tube something in appear IN,
ce like n flour drawn in at the top, wi
Itch seems TO have been deposited by the cei
'ature, herself, in irr gUiar successive nj,
7ers. But her cIowning glory lies in the 4
e long gracefully curved tentacles, each vo
oNluS S Win uoup!e TOW OF snort cila- for
tn a lustre between that OF glass and pearl,
3 fringe Of ella on each flash like threads
living light; the body is like crystal cup
which the red and green globes that form
chief food glow like rubies and emeralds. -
spite OF her beauty, however, she shows an ~
icrmantc fondness for eating; like Oliver
list, always calling for more, even when eli,
eady nlled to the very brim In a paper OF est
: h1na eouid only toueh bIlthy upon a &C
points OF interest," out trust nave salu I
Ough 20 indicate some of the interest and ! tn
iujy of that hidden world to which / an,
microscope admits us. In conclusion I chi
ote the words OF Or. Carpenter: at is much IN
be desired that microscopic observers ! II
'uId devote themselves systematically 70 sch
continuous stndy OF even the commonest ann
best-knowR forms OF infusory animal sne
es; since there is not a single one whose az
Are life-histOry is known TO Us. And since, am
rir.fftr In