. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. Fig. 13.—Caprella pUasma« The other Lœmodipoda, forming a second section (Ovalia, Latr.), have the body oval, with the seg- ments transverse ; the terminal filament of the antennae appears to be inarticulated. The legs are short, or of only moderate length ; those of the second and third segments are imperfect, and terminated by a long cylindrical joint vrithout terminal hooks ; they have at the base an elongated vesicular body. These Lœmodipoda form the subgenus— Ci/atnus, Latr. (Lanmda, Leach), of which 1 have seen
. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. Fig. 13.—Caprella pUasma« The other Lœmodipoda, forming a second section (Ovalia, Latr.), have the body oval, with the seg- ments transverse ; the terminal filament of the antennae appears to be inarticulated. The legs are short, or of only moderate length ; those of the second and third segments are imperfect, and terminated by a long cylindrical joint vrithout terminal hooks ; they have at the base an elongated vesicular body. These Lœmodipoda form the subgenus— Ci/atnus, Latr. (Lanmda, Leach), of which 1 have seen three species, all of which live upon Cetacea, and of which the commonest (Oniscus Ceti, Linn.) is also found upon the Mackerel. The fishermen call it the whale-louse. Another species, closely allied, was brought home by Delalande, in his voyage to the Cape of Good Hope. The third, which is much smaller, is found upon the Cetacea of the Indian seas. [M. Roussel de Vauzême has published a very complete and interesting memoir upon this singular genus in the Annales des Sciences Naturelles for May, 1834, describing three species living upon Whales of the Southern Ocean, and also observed their respective habits. Sometimes these creatures are so abundant on the Whales that the individuals they infest may be easily recognized at a considerable distance by the white colour these parasites impart to them. When removed, the surface of the body of the Whale is found to be deprived of its epidermis. C. oralis and gracilis are stationary, being found in great numbers agglomerated upon the corneous prominences of Balana mysticetus. C. erraticus is, however, organ- ized for its wandering habits, being of a slender form, and with larger legs, serving for prehension. The young ones appear with all the characters of their kind, only the head is rather large, and the supposed branchial appen- dages, instead of being long and slender, are short and somewhat globose.]. THE FIFTH ORDER OF
Size: 1529px × 1633px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, bookpublishe, booksubjectanimals
