File:Ocean wonders- a companion for the seaside (1879) (14579675269).jpg

Identifier: oceanwonderscomp00damo (find matches)
Title: Ocean wonders: a companion for the seaside
Year: 1879 (1870s)
Authors: Damon, William Emerson, 1838-
Subjects: Marine animals Aquariums
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ious curves and twistsat the lower ends, sometimes lying nearly horizontally on theshell or stone to which they are attached, and then, aftersundry windings and twistings, shooting up in a nearly ver-tical direction several inches. The beautiful plume or head-dress, as we have called it, which is the most attractive pointin this creature, really consists of its breathing-organs—thebranchiae or lungs. Just think of carrying ones lungs onthe top of the head in the form of delicate-sprayed plumes !The color of these branchiEe is extremely variable; they HOUSE-BUILDERS OF THE SEA. 35 number about eighteen separate barbs on each side, some-times of a purplish brown, transversely marked with flake-white, intermingled with yellowish green; the pinnse haveabout the same colors. Sometimes we have the whole plumean orange-brown, white, salmon, chestnut, orange, or an um-ber-brown. They construct their tube-like homes from lime, whichalways exists in a state of solution in sea-water, and which
Text Appearing After Image:
An Annelidan City. the serpulse know perfectly well how to appropriate andapply. Mine have added half an inch to the height of theirhouses in a few weeks after transferring them from theirocean habitat to my glass vase. If their tubes are acciden-tally broken, they are equally apt at repairing, and the de-ficiency or injury is soon made good. A year ago mygroup of serpulse was tumbled down against the side of theglass, and a few days later I was very much interested in see- 36 THE OCEAN. ing that the industrious little creatures had begun to recon-struct their broken houses. This, to my great satisfaction,they did by using the side of the glass tank as a support orbuttress; they thus economized labor and material, while Ihad the benefit of being able to watch the whole proceedingswithout any intervening obstruction. This was a fine chancefor learning the secret of these mysterious marine masons, andtheir modus operandi soon became familiarly known to me. In addition to the ornamental

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