. The popular natural history . Zoology. TJi£ EARTH-WORM. 579 ANNULATA. A NEW class of animals now comes before us. These creatures are technically called Annulata, or sometimes Annelida, on account of the rings, or annuli, of which iheir bodies are composed. Ihey may be dis- tinguished from the Juiida by the absence of true feet, although in very many species the place of feet is supplied by bundles of brisiles, set along ihe sides. The re^p ration is carried on either by means of external gills, iniernal sacs, or even through the skin iiself. In most of the Annulata the body is long and cyli
. The popular natural history . Zoology. TJi£ EARTH-WORM. 579 ANNULATA. A NEW class of animals now comes before us. These creatures are technically called Annulata, or sometimes Annelida, on account of the rings, or annuli, of which iheir bodies are composed. Ihey may be dis- tinguished from the Juiida by the absence of true feet, although in very many species the place of feet is supplied by bundles of brisiles, set along ihe sides. The re^p ration is carried on either by means of external gills, iniernal sacs, or even through the skin iiself. In most of the Annulata the body is long and cylindrical, but in some it is flattened and oval. The number of rings is very , even in the same species. The group of worms which come first on our list is remarkable for the architectural powers of its members. In order to protect their soft sknned body and delicate gills, they build for themselves a residence into which they exactly fit This residence is in the form of a tube, and in some casi s, as in the Serpulae, is of a very hard shelly substance, and in some, as iHe Teiebella is soft and (.overed with grains of sand and fragn ents of shells. The beautiful .Serpula is now very familiar to us, through the medium of marine aquariu. ' its white shell, exquisite fan-like branchije, and brilliant opercu um. having lived and died in mnnyan inland town where a li ing inhabitant of the ocenn had never before been seen. The SerpuLi is able to travel up and down its tube by the bundles of bristles which project from the rings along the sides, and to retract itself with marvellous nipidity. It has no eyes, and yet is sensible of light. For example, if a Serpu'a be fully protruded, with its gill-fans i,apda amturuipucua. extended tn their utmost, and blazing in all its scarlet and white splendour, a hand moved between it and the window will cause it to into its tube with a movement so rapid that the eye cannot follow it. The gills, whose exquisitely graceful form a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
