Part 18

From all which, well examined, I am persuaded, gentlemen, you will be induced to conclude, that tho’ clouds may sometimes possess an accumulation of electricity, yet that this is only an accidental circumstance, and not a constant one; and thence can have no possible influence either in the elevation or support of them. I am,

GENTLEMEN, Your very humble Servant, Erasmus Darwin.

Litchfield, March 23. 1757.

XXXI. _An Account of new-discovered Species of the Snipe or Tringa: In a Letter to the Rev._ Tho. Birch, _D.D. F.R.S. from Mr._ George Edwards, _Librarian of the College of Physicians_.

[Read May 5, 1757.]

SIR,

I TAKE the liberty to lay before you the figure and description of a new-discovered species of the snipe or tringa kind, which was lately shot at Sowerby-bridge in Yorkshire, and sent to me by Mr. Florist of Worley-clough, near Hallifax in the same county. If the account, that follows, shall be thought by you deserving to be communicated to the Royal Society, the real bird, which I have preserved dry, shall be produced at the same time.

This bird is like in shape to most others of the tringa or snipe kind. Its size is better shewn by the figure lying before you (_See_ TAB. VI.), than by the dried bird, which is much shrunk since the drawing of it was made. I chuse, by way of distinction, to name it the coot-footed tringa, as it differs from other birds of that genus no otherwise, than in having its toes webbed in the same particular manner as the fulica, or our bald-coot. One of its feet is shewn in the plate, magnified a little, to make it the better understood, in what manner the webs or membranes spreading on both sides of the toes are scalloped or indented at each of the toe-joints. These scallopings are finely pectinated on their outer edges, as the enlarged figure expresses. The hinder toe is small, and finely pectinated on the under side. The bill is black, and channelled on both sides of the upper mandible; in which channels the nostrils are placed near the forehead: it is compressed somewhat like a duck’s bill, and ridged along its upper part, as a figure of the head in the corner of the plate may shew. The lower head, figured with it, is intended to shew the bill (which is very narrow) of another species of coot-footed tringa, brought from North America, and described and figured in my Natural History of Birds, _&c._ plate 46. The eyes are placed farther backward from the bill than in many other sorts of birds; in which the wisdom of Providence is remarkable: for birds of this genus commonly feeding in soft muddy ground on the banks of rivers or the sea, have occasion to thrust their bills deep into the shores, to extract worms and insects; and their eyes would be in danger, were they placed more forward. The fore part of the head, the neck, breast, belly, thighs, covert-feathers withinside the wings and under the tail, are white: the top and hinder part of the head is black. The lower part of the neck behind, and the back, are of a blueish ash or slate-colour, with a mixture of blackish or dusky: the upper sides of the wings and tail are of a blackish or dusky colour: the tips of the covert of the wings are white; the tips of the middlemost or shortest of the quills are also white, and form white transverse bars across the wings. Two or three of the middle quills are wholly white, and all of them have their inner webs white toward their bottoms. It hath twelve feathers in the tail; the outermost of which, on each side, is edged with white. The covert-feathers on the rump, or upper side of the tail, are dusky and white. The legs are bare of feathers above the knees (as they are in most birds, who wade in shallow waters), and of an ash-colour.

I believe no discovery of this bird has been made till now: and it is very probable there are many more species of birds in this island, that have hitherto escaped the notice of curious inquirers. Mr. Ray, in a book by him published, London, 1674. called, A Collection of English Words, _&c._ with a Catalogue of English Birds and Fishes, _&c._ after naming the coot in his catalogue of birds, p. 92. says, “Mr. Johnson of Brigna, near Grota-bridge in Yorkshire, shewed me a bird of the coot kind, scallop-toed, not much bigger than a black-bird.” As so little is said by Mr. Ray, one can hardly determine any thing concerning the bird he mentions: and ’tis plain he thought this note scarce worth notice, as he hath not preserved it in the Ornithology since by him published. Nor can I believe it was the bird now before us; for he says it was not much bigger than a black-bird; which implies, that it was something bigger. And, on reading his description of the black-bird, I find he makes it to weigh four ounces; consequently it is four times the weight of the bird above described by me: for my obliging friend, Mr. Florist, who sent me this bird, says in his letter, that, when newly killed, it weighed one ounce. Therefore I am inclined to think, that the bird Mr. Ray has so slightly mentioned, is a bird not as yet fully discovered. I am, Reverend Sir,

Your most humble Servant, Geo. Edwards.

College of Physicians, Lond. May the 3d, 1757.

XXXII. _Observationes de Corallinis, iisque insidentibus Polypis, aliisque Animalculis Marinis: Quas Regiæ Societati Londinensi offert_ Job Baster, _Med. Doct. Acad. Cæsar. Reg. Societ. Lond. & Scient. Holland. Socius._

[Read May 19, 1757.]

DOMICILIUM meum mari propinquum[141] occasionem præbet, in nondum satis cognitam quorundam animalium, in mare degentium, generationem et œconomiam inquirendi. Quæ observavi Regiæ Societati temporis successu offerre animus est; sed in hac prima dissertatione tantum observationes quasdam de corallinis, iisque insidentibus polypis, et aliis animalculis marinis, exhibere in animum induxi.

Paucis abhinc annis, inter doctos viros dissensio fuit, utrum corallia, corallinæ, et kerato-phyta veræ essent plantæ, quæ crescunt, et vegetant, in quibus insecta marina nidificant; an vero horum ipsorum essent opus et fabrica. Multi et sagacissimi historiæ naturalis scrutatores ultimam complexi sunt sententiam; sed nemini contradicere studens, simpliciter tantum et fideliter illa referam, quæ variis temporibus in corallinis observavi, et quæ lectorem benevolum, ut spero, convincent, corallinas non magis a polypis fabrefieri, quam diversa fungorum genera ab illis fabricantur animalculis, quibus, æstivo tempore, quasi repleta inveniuntur.

Dura corallia, quæ recenter ex mari extracta, et in rotundum animalculis obsita reperiebantur, primam ansam dedere suspicandi, hæc ab illis esse fabrefacta.

Cum omnia juniora conchylia tenerrimæ et viscosæ substantiæ reperiantur, ex analogia conclusum fuit, parva et tenera animalcula, quæ coralliis insident, æque hæc fabricare potuisse, ac illa durissimas suas conchas et buccina. Sed in historia naturali non tuto ex analogia licet concludere.

Verun quidem est, quod recens natum conchylium tam tenerum est, quam parvus ille corallio insidens polypus; sed tunc concha ejus vel buccinum etiam erit tenerrimum, et quo magis in eo contentum crescit animal, eo major, durior et firmior fit concha: et interior conchæ superficies semper est lævissima et glaberrima, ne tenerrimum animalculi corpus aliquo modo lædi posset, ut in ostreis, mytulis, solenibus, et quibuscunque conchis et buccinis, hoc videre est.

Sed an hoc in coralliis invenitur? Nunquam polypi in ipsa coralliorum substantiâ habitant, sed semper intra hanc et circumdatam corticem. Cavitates, quas in coralliis invenies, non glabræ aut læves sunt, sed asperæ et acutæ. Parvus corallii ramulus nec tener est nec mollis, sed æque durus habita magnitudinis proportione ac maximum: nec minores illi insident polypi quam ramis majoribus.

Cum vero hic, in Zelandia, necdum ulla dura corallia recenter ex mare extracta explorare licuit, me tantum ad corallinas determinare debui, ubique sere prope littora reperiundas, et quibus simillimi, qui coralliis, insident polypi.

Animadvertam tantum mihi videri, animalcula, quæ summas coralliorum extremitates inhabitant, et Nobilissimo Marsiglio flores visa sunt, ad genus etiam polyporum referri debere, et in his extremitatibus non nata esse, sed irrepsisse, dum illas vacuas et domicilio aptas invenerint: eodem certe modo, quo cancelli, quos _Bernard l’hermite_ vocant Galli, vacua irreptant buccina. Et hi cancelli, ut observant piscatores, non casu aut temerarie id faciunt, sed quasi ex consulto. Si sex vel septem cancelli vivi prudenter ex suis buccinis extrahantur, et hæc inter se permixta iis iterum exhibeantur, quisque cancellus in proprium suum, nunquam in alterius buccinum irrepit, et hoc ablatum undique quæritat, quod jucundum visu est.

Necesse mihi fuit quasdam sed paucas corallinarum et polyporum figuras addere: si vero quis plura desideret, elaboratum opus sagacissimi Domini Ellis adeat, in quo quamplurimas et accuratissimas corallinarum et polyporum delineationes inveniet[142].

_De Plantis Marinis generatim._

Plantæ marinæ a terrestribus in plurimis differunt, nam hæ in raro aëre excrescentes, nutrimentum suum radicum ope, in terra proserpentium, hauriunt: du millæ plerumque nec radices nec folia habent, sed ex trunco et ramis consistunt. Illa plantæ marinæ pars, qua substantiæ, cui increscit, adhæret, radicis nomen non meretur, nisi quatenus plantam uni semper loco tenet adfixam: sed quod primarium radicis munus est, nutrimentum ei non adfert: ipsa planta per truncum et ramos ex medio, cui semper immersa est, incrementum suum acquirit. Neque maris sundus radicibus recipiendis aptus esset, nam plerumque inconstans et volubile sabulum est, quod continuo fluctuum motu de loco in locum dimovetur, ita ut uno temporis momento radices nudæ, altero sub arena forent sepultae.

Sed quamdiu vera vegetatio marinarum erit ignota, non bene explicari poterit, quare corallia et kerato-phyta, licet ab imo ad summum undique animalculorum cellulis obsessa, læte tamen crescant, ut hoc in plurimis, non tamen in omnibus, observare est. Nam Nobilissimus Marsigli kerato-phyta invenit, quæ nulla cortice, aut quæ uno loco cortice erant obducta, altero non: et corticem hanc non nisi polyporum cellulas fuisse clare ex ejus verbis patet[143].

At rogare mihi liceat, an vera vegetatio plantarum terrestrium, quæ semper nobis ante oculos sunt, bene cognita et perspecta sit? an quidem novimus, quæ vera sit radicum functio, et quomodo hanc exerceant? Nonne plurimæ inveniuntur plantæ, quæ paucissimis instructæ radicibus in altum crescunt, maxime ergo foliorum ope, quæ succos nutritios ex vaporibus in aëre natantibus hauriunt, plantam alunt, et sic radicum defectum supplent. Sed liceat mihi, accuratissimi Bonneti verba adferre; “Plantæ, dicit hic sagacissimus naturæ scrutator, semper sunt sugentes, et in statu suctionis, interdiu radicum ope nutriuntur, noctu foliorum[144]. Sed optandum est[145], quod arte quadam exacte posset determinari, et tunc inter se comparari hanc nutrimenti copiam, quam plantæ radicum ope acquirunt, cum illâ, quæ folia adferunt. Examen hoc forsan nos doceret, quod _Aër_ non minus quam _Terra_ ad plantarum nutritionem et incrementum contribuat.”

Si ergo medium tam rarum et tenue, ut aër (ut ex Celⁱ. Halæi et Boneti experimentis certum est) tantum ad plantarum nutritionem adferat, mirum non est, quod nunquam quiescens et quam maxime heterogenea aqua maris plantas marinas, licet expansis radicibus destitutas, ad tantam magnitudinem, altitudinem et duritiem faciat excrescere. Sed nonne similiter crescunt plurima fungorum genera? Quas radices habent quercubus aliisque lignis increscentes agarici? Quas phallus, elvela, et plura, quæ in _Methodo suo fungorum_ describit _J. G. Gledisch_.

Hæc de plantis marinis præmittere volui, ut evincam corallinas, licet radicibus careant, crescere, vegetare, et plantas esse posse, ut aliæ terrestres et fungi, quæ similiter aut minimas habent radices, aut plane iis destituuntur.

Cætera, quæ de vegetatione, floribus et seminibus plantarum marinarim observavi, alio tempore indicabo.

_De Corallinis._

Corallinæ omnes habent proprietates, quas in genere de plantis marinis indicavimus: Sed præterea, quod præcipuum est hujus dissertationis propositum, omni fere corallinæ, si rami ejus ad justam magnitudinem et firmitatem creverint, tam hyeme quam ætate, animalcula insident, quæ a multitudine brachiorum, et similitudine, quam cum polypis, in aqua fossarum dulci, reperiundis, habent, etiam polypi vocantur.

Si quis corallinæ plantam, eique insidentes polypos, rite examinare studet, non incipiat parvam tenuis ramuli partem in vitro concavo jacentem microscopio inspicere; sed totam corallinæ plantam recenter ex mare extractam in vitrum pellucidum, aqua marina repletum, prudenter inserat: aut talem plantam orbi porcellano concavo in fundo coloris profunde cærulei imponat, et addita sufficiente aquæ marinæ pellucidæ quantitate, ejus ramos prudenter expandat; tunc post quadrantis horæ quietem, illos lente amplificante intueatur, et sic distinctissime in hac unica planta polypos diversi generis, et plerumque mira alia videbit insecta; quæ microscopio dein ad libitum ulterius examinari possunt.

Corallinæ, quæ [146]capillares et filamentosos habent ramulos, aut quæ [147]juniores et tenuiores adhuc sunt, ut

Quae navibus post longum iter;

Aut quæ doliis istis coniformibus, quæ ad littora vel fluminum majorum exitum in mare ad nautarum securitatem ponuntur; Aut januis emissariorum aquæ marinæ in his regionibus, accreverint, raro vel nunquam habent polypos.

Sed si eadem corallinæ species jam ad sufficientem magnitudinem et firmitatem, et præsertim supra ostrea, saxa, silices, aliaque in fundo maris quiete jacentia corpora, increverit, polypis scatet. Perspicaci suo judicio decidat lector B.

An hoc efficitur, quia polyporum semen, ova, vel nata progenies gravitate sua fundum petat?

Vel quia animalculis his perpetuus navium aut doliorum motus obstet, ut hæc non satis tuta credant, et ideo in fundo maris semper immota eligant corpora, quibus ovula sua confidant?

Vel quia pix et colophonia, quibus naves, dolia, et emissariorum januæ illuminuntur, corallinis, quæ illis increscunt, noxiam vel polypis ingratam qualitatem communicent? Hoc saltem semper obvenit, me numquam tot polypos invenisse in corallinis, quas a navibus, doliis aut emissariorum januis abraseram, quam in illis, quæ ostreis, mytulis et silicibus in fundo maris erant innatæ.

Hoc _primum_ mihi _argumentum_ est, corallinas a polypis non formatas esse; nam tunc plantæ juniores et minores æque suos haberent polypos, ac maximæ.

_Secundum argumentum_, quod polypi vel casu vel instinctu quodam sese corallinis affigant, sed veram plantæ partem non constituant, est, quod polypi non omnes majoris plantæ ramos æqualiter obsident; hic ramus vel hujus rami tantum pars polypis obsessa erit quam plurimis, altera nullis. Corallinam habeo, [148]cujus truncum plurimi inhabitant polypi, dum nullos in ramulis poteram detegere, licet armato oculo. Et sic algæ[149] vel quercui sic dictæ marinæ sæpius corallinæ increscunt, in quibus nunquam polypos inveni. Hoc fieri non deberet, si corallinæ polyporum essent opus. Omnes corallinæ semper suos deberent habere, et ramis suis æqualiter et proportionaliter insidentes polypos; et nunquam sine his essent reperiundæ, ut tamen sæpius sit. Cel. Jussieu[150] quasi mirabundus dicit, se semel alcyonium et spongiam ramosam sine polypis invenisse, licet recenter a rupe essent abstractæ.

_Tertium argumentum_ erit, quod fere semper una eademque[151] corallinæ planta diversi generis alat polypis: in una eademque[152] corallinæ tubulariæ planta quinque diversas polyporum species inveni[153].

Liceat jam mihi rogare, quibusnam horum quinque hæc corallina ortum suum debeat? Certe non primæ aut secundæ, ut videtur, magnitudinis, nam hi summis tantum insident corallinæ extremitatibus, et microscopium clare ostendit locum, ubi corpus polypi minus pellucidum et superficiei rudioris glabræ huic corallinæ adhæret. Nec fabricavit corallinam tertia species, quæ extrema corporis parte, quasi caudâ, corallinæ est affixa: et minus adhuc quarta, nam clare videre est, horum cellulas corallinæ circumdatas, ut examen apum arboris ramum circumcludit: et si hæ polyporum cellulæ non nimis densæ sunt, ipsius corallinæ color translucet.

Si hæ quatuor polyporum species hanc corallinam non fabricaverint, non fecit certe quinta. [154]Mirabilissima et minima hæc animalcula ad genus polyporum certe pertinent, et omnibus fere corallinis, algis, aliisque plantis marinis incredibili sæpe insident copia. Jucundissimum est videre, quomodo se expandunt, et mox mira agilitate, capta prædâ, se subito contrahunt, quod bis vel ter in minuto horæ repetunt.

Æque jam, ut in una eademque corallinæ planta diversos invenis polypos, sic in diversis corallinæ speciebus videbis similes et eosdem polypos:[155] quod etiam illi obstat sententiæ corallinas polyporom esse opus aut fabricam. Polypi dum operantur, ut cætera animalia, instinctu innato operantur: ergo, una eademque polyporum species semper easdem fubricaret corallinas: sic semper similes et uniformes apes faciunt favos, vespæ nidos, araneæ tela. Hic vero contrarium eveniret; iidem polypi uno tempore hanc, alio tempore illam fabricarent corallinam: quod rationi contrarium est, et mihi _quartum argumentum_. Sed hoc verum est, quod eadem polyporum species non diversas corallinas, sed in diversis corallinis easdem et uniformes semper sibi construant cellulas.

_Quinto_, si corallinæ a polypis essent fabrefactæ, nunquam polypi et eorum cellulæ etiam vivis animalibus, aliisque corporibus, essent adfixæ. Polypos inveni in ostreorum[156] conchis, cancri[157] arachnoideæ pedibus, animali[158], quod emissariorum januis et navibus quietis sæpius adhæret et anus (_aars-gat_) vocatur, et aliis plurimis, sine minimo corallinæ vestigio. Et animalia illa, quæ piscatores nostri[159] _klap-konten_ vocant, et majorum polyporum species esse videntur, nunquam teneris insident corallinis, sed semper hæc supra ostreorum conchas et lapides inveni, et quamvis illorum progressum ipse non viderim, tamen de loco in locum sese transmovisse, expertus sum.

_Sexto_: Hæ corallinæ non solum polypis, sed cochleis, buccinis[160] aliisque plurimis insectis marinis conveniunt, ut illis ova vel progeniem confidant. Hoc præcipue mensibus Februario et Martio videre est: accepi tunc diversas corallinas diversis cochleis et buccinis plenas, et sæpe inter hæc quosdam cancellos ova sua jamjam excludentes. Mater cochlea ovula sua supra vel juxta corallinas deposuit; pulli exclusi contra has ascenderunt, ne illis innixi fluctuum motu eluerentur, vel ut adversus hostes suos tuto se absconderent.

Quantum omnibus animalibus divina prospexerit prudentia, animus nunquam satis assequi quacunque industria potest. _Deus_, ut jam animadvertit Rex[161] Psalmista, _plantavit arbores cedros Libani, ubi aviculæ nidificent, et abietes domicilia ciconiæ: Montes excelsissimos rupicaprarum, petras murium montanorum perfugium_. Sic corallinæ domicilia et perfugium sunt polypis aliisque minoribus insectis marinis. Et præsertim hoc censeo, quia tempore hyemali, mensibus Decembri et Januario, corallinarum ramos plurimis vesiculis, operculo vel valvula tectis, obsessos inveni: quare has vesiculas habeo pro ovis ab aliis insectis his corallinis impositis.

Omnes, qui nunquam satis laudanda incomparabilis +REAUMURII+ scripta legerunt, sciunt, quam miris et differentibus modis insecta quædam sua ova opponunt, vel in [162]gyrum, vel in [163]lineam spiralem, vel [164]singula ova a filis libere in aere pendentia, vel, ut hic fere casus est, per[165]paria lignosæ substantiæ ramorum imposita. Quam mira quam varia est etiam ipsorum [166]ovorum figura! Culicum[167] autem ova, quoad externam figuram, quam maxime his corallinæ vesiculis similia sunt.

Omnia vero insectorum ova inter se et cum his vesiculis in eo conveniunt, quod[168] operculum vel valvulum habent eo in loco, ubi eruca vel vermis exitum invenire debet; permittente quidem hac valvulâ exitum extrorsum, omnem vero introitum aëris vel aquæ prorsus negante. Sed præter hanc cum aliorum insectorum ovis convenientiam, ipsæ vesiculæ mihi vera ova videntur, quia recenter ex mare extractæ erant perspicuæ, in spiritu frumenti vero statim fiebant opacæ, albæ, cum puncto flavo[169]. Secundo, quia hyeme plures vesiculæ in corallinis reperiuntur, perpaucæ vero æstate; nam tum illorum pulli exclusi sunt, et corallinæ cochleis parvis, forsan ex his ovis progenitis, magis sunt obsessæ.

Nam hæ vesiculæ mihi ipsorum polyporum ova esse non videntur, licet sæpius [170]polypos in illis invenire contigit: et ideo crederem hos polypos in vesiculis repertos, quoniam licet adulti tamen vesiculis multo minores sint, post veri pulli exclusionem in vacua illa ova irrepsisse; cum jam antea observavimus cancellos in vacua irrepere buccina, et ipsos polypos vacuis corallinæ tubulariæ summitatibus sese adfigere. Sed quam maxime has vesiculas non polyporum, sed aliorum animalculorum ova esse censeo, quia perspicacissimus _Reaumurius_ initio hyemis in oris Galliæ provinciæ _Pictaviensis_ (_Poitou_) ova cochlearum marinarum invenerit, quæ quamvis his vesiculis paulum majora, erant tamen simillima[171]. Licet corallinæ speciosam habeant verisimilitudinem, ut quasi animalium opus appareant, aliæ tamen sunt plantæ marinæ, præsertim _alcyonium digitatem molle_, quas adhuc magis a polypis fabrefactas diceres; sed si accuratione indagine observantur, pro veris plantis erunt agnoscendæ, ut in posterum, quando profusius agam de plantis marinis, demonstrare spero. Alia vero alcyonia, ut _vesicaria marina Bauhini_, &c. vera animalium opera, namque eorum sunt ovaria. Plantæ marinæ unicæ non sunt, quæ pro insectorum opere sunt habitæ. Liceat mihi locum adferre ex notis, quas Nobilissimus _Lyonnet Theologiæ insectorum Doctiss. el Rev. Lessers_ subjunxit: “Credendum non est, ut quidam faciunt, si stagnantes aquas viridi et fibrosâ membrana tectas videas, hanc insectorum texturam esse. Est algæ species, quæ in his stagnis crescit, et insectis est pro alimento.”[172]

_De Polypis Corallinis insidentibus._

Completam historiæ et oeconomiæ polyporum in corallinis repertorum descriptionem dare nondum suscipio, sed paucis enarrabo, quæ de illis observare mihi licuit.

Auctores, qui aquæ dulcis polypos examinarunt, quatuor eorum species enumerant: sed in aqua marina major differentium specierum numerus est; plus quam viginti diversos vidi polypos, quos ut plurimum in laudatis figuris etiam delineavit accuratissimus _Ellis_, et profecto adhuc plures sunt. Sed hic monendum, quod cum aquæ dulcis polypi nudo oculo facile queant conspici, plerique marini non nisi lente aut microscopio possint examinari: et aqua marina, in qua polypi vivunt, bis, vel ad minimum semel, nucthemeri spatio, debet renovari, aut polypi moriantur.