Vestiges of the Natural History of CreationChambers, Robert
Science
Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation
Chambers, Robert
Creation; Evolution (Biology)
These families of beetles live only upon fresh
vegetables; they are diurnal, and sport in the glare of day, pure in
their food, elegant in their shapes, and beautiful in their colours.”
{246}
The third type, (first of the three aberrant,) called by Mr. Swainson,
the _natatorial_, or aquatic, are chiefly remarkable for their bulk, the
disproportionate size of the head, and the absence, or slight development
of the feet. They partake of the predaceous and destructive character of
the adjoining sub-typical group, and the means of their predacity are
generally found in the mouth alone. In the primary division of the
animal kingdom, we find the type in the radiata, not one of which lives
out of water. In the vertebrata, it is in the fishes. In both of these,
feet are totally wanting. Descending to the class mammalia, we have this
type in the cetacea, which present a comparatively slight development of
limbs. In the aves, as we have seen, the type is presented in the
natatores, whose name has been adopted as an appropriate term for all the
corresponding groups. An enumeration of some other examples of the
natatorial type, as the cephalopoda (instanced in the cuttle-fish) in the
mollusca; the crustacea (crabs, &c.) in the annulosa; the owls (which
often duck for fish) in the raptores; the ichthyosaurus, plesiosaurus,
&c., among reptilia, will serve to bring the general character, and its
pervasion of the whole animal world, forcibly before the mind of the
reader.
The next type is that of meanest and most imperfect organization, the
lower termination of all groups, as the typical is the upper. It is
called by Mr. Swainson the suctorial, from a very generally prevalent
peculiarity, that of drawing sustenance by suction. The acrita, or
polypes, among the sub-kingdoms; the intestina, among the annulosa; the
tortoises, among the reptilia; the armadillo and scaly ant-eater, pig,
mouse, jerboa, and kangaroo, among quadrupeds; the waders and
tenuirostres, among birds; the coleoptera, (bug, louse, flea, &c.) among
insects; the gastrobranchus, among fishes; are examples which will
illustrate the special characters of this type. These are smallness,
particularly in the head and mouth, feebleness, and want of offensive
protection, defect of organs of mastication, considerable powers of swift
movement, and (often) a parasitic mode of living; while of negative
qualities, there are, besides, indisposition to domestication, and an
unsuitableness to serve as human food.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account