The animal kingdom : arranged after its organization, forming a natural history of animals, and an introduction to comparative anatomy . por-tion of them to the Vegetable kingdom ; it being now certainly known that an active movement, oc-casioned by the vibration of cilia, is visible in many of the humbler Plants ; so that the power of thusmaking its way through water, even with considerable activity, is by no means that certain anddistinctive attribute of an Animal, which it was at one time supposed to be. Moreover, it is certainthat many of them are allied to Plants in their chemical constit
The animal kingdom : arranged after its organization, forming a natural history of animals, and an introduction to comparative anatomy . por-tion of them to the Vegetable kingdom ; it being now certainly known that an active movement, oc-casioned by the vibration of cilia, is visible in many of the humbler Plants ; so that the power of thusmaking its way through water, even with considerable activity, is by no means that certain anddistinctive attribute of an Animal, which it was at one time supposed to be. Moreover, it is certainthat many of them are allied to Plants in their chemical constitution, and also in their power ofgrowth and increase under the influence of light, at the exnense of water and carbonic acid has lately been ascertained, too, that the Desmidett and Diatomacece reproduce themselves byconjugation, after the manner of the Zygnemata, which are undoubted plants; so that, although theseare described and represented by Professor Ehrenberg as Infusory Animalcules, they are now trans-ferred by most Naturalists to the Vegetable kingdom. It seems not improbable that a large proportion 708 of the group will have to undergo a similar transrerence; but it would oe premature to attempt theseparation at present. The forms presented by these Animalcules are extremely various. In some we can scarcely detectany definite shape; their bodies appear composed of a mass of gelatinous matter destitute of support, which may project itse^ into almost any figure. In others there is still a considerable variety in the forms assumed by the sameindividual under different circumstances (, dj; but still a prevailing shape can be re-cognized. In others, again, the body, althoughstill unprotected by any firm envelope, appearsto undergo little change in figure, except whenafiected by temporary pressure. But there aremany species which cannot be influenced evenby this; their soft bodies being enclosed in adelicate but firm integument, strengthe
Size: 2150px × 1162px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorwe, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectanimals
