The Hawaiian gazette., 1875-07-28


lated arms (BryoEoa or Polysoa, Of which
the Flustra, or Sea Mat is an examplc)
are now usually placed with the Lower
Molluscs undor the name Of " Mol.
luscoida," are considered by Professor
Huxley to constitute one Of the eight pri'
mary groups lie places the remainder
ofthe molluscs amongst the C@lenterata,
The Echmodermata have since lS6A been
included by Huxley in the AnnuloidaN
Ono of his eight primary groopsi but ],
Victor CaNs {" NandbUeh der Zoologic,'
ls6Sl places all Echinodems in a separate
and Independent group Although Car,
pontor's classification is now most com.
monty adopted by scientific men, the gen,
eral classification of Protozoa, CWlentet,
alta, Echinodermata, Annelida, Artieulata,
VcrtebrSta Ne, has obtained the sane
ton OF several great names, These roo.
logists place the Hydrozoa and Anthozoa
designations which shadow forth what
they are-amongst the "Cnlenterata"
Amongst their "Echinodermata" group,
they place the flIolothuroidea Tor animals
Of the nature of the sea slug,) in which
there is las TO Individually no distinction
ofsex. In the same group, however, are
classified the Echinodea, the Asteroidea,
and the Crinoidea, in which the sexes are
separate. The Annelida of this classi.
fication represent the Vermiiorm Glasses
of Carpenter; and the Articulata" in
clude the Insects and Crustaceans, Then
comes the group of the Vetebates. Those
who prefer this late classification appear
TO distinguish particularly the mode of
generation peculiar to the animal. In the
Crustaceans it has been remarked that
the organs of reproduction are always
present, and the sexes distinct; excepting
in the one order of those animals, No. IS,
known as Cirrhopods. These Cirrhopoda,
or Cirrhopeda (curly-footed animals) form
the genus Lepas of Linneus, and are
ranked by the learned Swede amongst
the Multivalve Testacea. Recently, how
ever, the Cirrhopods have been assigned
place amongst the Articulata The term
Crustacea has, it will be observed, a very
wide and comprehensive use; being APP
piled by Carpenter, for example, to no less
than fourteen different orders of animals
bearing a certain degree of analogy to the
Arachnida snd Myriopoda.
From perusal of the foregoing general
remarks, the reader will at once perceive
that in the different contending classified
tions of all the lower animals there is at
present such chaotic confusion that
nothing but very greatly extended
amount of knowledge can possibly reduce
the whole to order :.and he will, moreo-
yer readily see how the spirited and intelli-
gent researches of the Challenger's scienJ
tifc staff amongst all deep-sea animals
some of the very lowest developments of
animal life-must go materially to extend
the domain of Reason and to add to hui
man knowledge Even the few stray
notes subjoined will probably be sufficient
to show that many of the specimens taken
and preserved must for ever settle hun
dreds of moot points, about which the nat
uralists have hitherto disagreed. Those
of our readers who have not paid much
attention to zoology may thus now be en-
abled in a general way to recognize seve-
raj of the individuals whose right place
has been in dispute, and also be able to
form some idea as to the whereabouts in
which the strangers will probably have
eventually to locate themselves.
Pentacrinus. is an animal plant
of very complex and beautiful structure,
found at the depth of $50 fathoms. 1t is
described in general terms as a sort of
star-fish but it has this popularity, that
at its base (centrically, and below the
frondlike radiating arms of the creature)
there are strong, curly, rootlike appenda-
ges, which it buries in the sand. Thus
steadied. as it were, by the roots, the
Pentacrmus expands, at will, its five radi-
ated fronds on the surface of the sand be-
meath the sea. These arms when half
folded up Gas it appears in the bottle) bear
some resemblance in shape to the upper
fronds of the Araucaria Tor Eutassia]
Excelsa. The color of the Pentacrinus
is sort of grey or drab Its extreme
length is about six inches.
Archaster.-This is new deep-sea
rudimentary star-fsh, found off Cape Howe
in Kerguelen's Land.
Silicious Sponge.-Visitors to the Chal-
lenger are shown many very curious spe-
cimens of Silicious Sponge; the delicate
fibres composing which appear to be of a
vitreous character Some of this sponge
found at the depth of 1900 fathoms-as-
tonishes the observer by the strange COM
plexity of its organic formation, as viewed
the medium of powerful micro
scope.
Bryozoa.-A specimen of this kind of