The treasury of natural history, or, A popular dictionary of zoology / by Samuel Maunder.

  • Maunder, Samuel, 1785-1849.
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The treasury of natural history, or, A popular dictionary of zoology / by Samuel Maunder. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    804/856 (page 782)
    email particles of organic matter into the general mass for the purposes of nourishment and growth. They have no special sensory organs or digestive apparatus. The simplest form of Rhizopod is the Aviceba diffluens, which will be found described under the title of Proteus, at p. 548. Among the more complicated forms may be mentioned the Nummulites, whose fossil shells were extraor- dinarily abundant during the tertiary epoch. The pyramids of Egypt are entirely com- posed of nummulitic limestone. RHYNCHOSAURUS. [See Paljjosau- rus above.] SALPA. A singular and interesting ge- nus of covered or tunicated molluscs. The species live in open seas ; each individual ex- hibits an elongated form, and is covered by an external transparent tunic, which is highly elastic and open at both ends. This tunic is cartilaginous in texture, and has been found to contain cellulose, a substance chemically identical with that forming the cellular basis of plants. Two kinds of Salptc have been described, namely, the solitary and aggregated; but these forms are only varying conditions of the same species. The anatomical structure, though differing in de- 1 tails, conforms to the molluscan type ; but some of the life phenomena exhibited by these singular creatures are altogether unique: thus the circulation of the blood, in- stead of proceeding in one uniform direction, becomes periodically reversed, the alternat- ing currents occurring at regular intervals. Here, therefore, we have a physiological phenomenon utterly at variance with our or- dinary experience, and one which, while it curiously illustrates the varying results ca- pable of being produced by a simple mecha- nical contrivance, at the same time suggests a caution as to the conclusions which we seem entitled to draw from known anatomical facts. SCELIDOSAURUS. A genus of gigantic dinosauriun reptiles, whose skeletal remains 1 have been discovered in the liassic deposits j at Charmouth in Dorsetshire. SCELIDOTHERIUM. The name gives by Prof. Owen to a genus of extinct terres- trial Sloths, whose specie* attained gigantic proportions and are closely allied to the Megatherium. SIEBOLDIA MAXIMA. Under this combined generic and specific title the gigantic Salamander of Japan is now very generally described, although it has hithedfi been noticed under other names. It is by far the large»t of all living naked Amphibia, and is 6aid to lie capable of attaining a length of upwards of three feet. It is only equalled by the closely allied extinct reptile of Scheuchzer, found in the tertiary freshwater beds at (Eningen, and which acquired so much celebrity under the title of //ome Diluvii Testis. A living example of the Sieboldia may now be seen in the Zoological Society's Gardens. Regent’s Park. It was originallj' purchased in the market at Na- gasaki by Captain Charles Taylor, of the ship Tung Yu, and was brought to England in a wooden tub placed on deck. This reptile is only found in the island of Nipbot, inhabiting the lakes and rtreams of the volcanic runge of mountains of the interior. In the full-grown state there is no gill aperture present, the branchise disappearing at an early period. As in our common Salamanders, the fore feet are furnished with four toes, the posterior extremities being five-toed or pentadactylous. The eyes are remarkubly small, and at first almost escape observation amongst the tubercles and dork spots by which the plicated skiu is marked. The cuticle is frequently shed, and when microscopically examined is found to consist of numerous hexagonal flattened cells, very similar to those of the Water-newt. It in curious habit of the Salamanders to assist in the shedding of their outer skin by seizing loose portions with the mouth and dragging it from before backwards over the taiL Frogs occasionally do the same thing. SIVATHERIUM. A genus of extinct re- minating quadruj>eds, the remains of which were discovered by Dr. Falconer and Mij® Cautley, on the Sewalik Hills, in India. These naturalists named the genus after Siva, an Indian deity. The specimens found | by them were presented, with the rest cd, their collection, to the British Museum. The . creature must have resembled a gigantic antelope in the shape of its body, while its heed must have borne some likeness to that 1 of an elk. The head was short and thick, and had two pairs of horns ; the front pair small, the hind pair much larger, and. in all probability, pal mated and set behind. The eves were small, and placed on the side* of the head. The lips must have been great; and, from the large projecting bone over the nasal cavity, it must have had a very long proboscis, an organ not found in any existing ruminating animal. The skull in bulk ; nearly approaches that of an elephant; the neck was shorter than in the giraffe, and much stronger, and well suited to support the weight of the heavy head with its two pairs of horns, the hinder of which were | most probably massive. There seems to have