. The animal creation: a popular introduction to zoology. Zoology. A3IPHIP0DA. 219 The importaiice of these Crustaceans in the economy of Xatiire is very great—making up for the smallness of their size by the immense numbers in which they exist, and the ubiquity of their pre- sence. They are ready at the first moment to seize upon the dead matter that constitutes their ordinary food, and thus to act their part as scavengers of the ocean without the least dehiy, whilst in their turn they furnish an abundance of excellent nourishment to fishes and other aquatic animals. To this order belong— The
. The animal creation: a popular introduction to zoology. Zoology. A3IPHIP0DA. 219 The importaiice of these Crustaceans in the economy of Xatiire is very great—making up for the smallness of their size by the immense numbers in which they exist, and the ubiquity of their pre- sence. They are ready at the first moment to seize upon the dead matter that constitutes their ordinary food, and thus to act their part as scavengers of the ocean without the least dehiy, whilst in their turn they furnish an abundance of excellent nourishment to fishes and other aquatic animals. To this order belong— The Sand-hoppers* (Gammarus). These animals may be seen in abundance by the seaside in summer-time, where they carry on a continual warfare against the annelidans of all sorts, found on the shore. Nothing is more curious than to see them, when the tide is coming in, congregated in myriads, beating the sand in all directions in search of theii* victims. No sooner do they meet with one of their fiivourite worms, than they attack it, and although it may be ten times their own size, soon kill and devom- it. They never leave off this work of butchery till they have fairly gone over all the mud ujjon the shore. They are equally ready to attack mollusca, fishes, or even human bodies cast up upon the beacli. In their turn, they supply an abundant stock of food to multitudes of shore-birds and fishes. Dr. Sutherland relates that in Davis Straits he has seen an entire seal reduced to a perfect skeleton in less than two days, by Gcua- rnariis articus. It is a species of Sand-Uop-per {Talitrus] that is alluded to by Archdeacon Paley, as exemplifying the abundance of happiness bestowed on the lower animals. " Walking by the seaside in a eahn evening upon a sandy shore, with an ebbing tide, I have frequently remarked the appearance of a dark cloud, or rather very thick mist, hanging over the edge of the water, to the height, perhaps, of half a yard, and of the breadth of two or three y
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectzoology
