EEVIEWS.
The Utilization of Minute Life; being Practical Studies on
Insects, Crustacea, Mollusca, Worms, Polypes, Infusoria,
and Sponges.
By Dr. T. L. PHIPSON, F.C.S.
London,
Groombridge and Sons.
W E cannot give a better idea of the scope and intention of
this work than is conveyed in the author's preface :
" Zoology and Botany have been looked upon as constituting less
practical branches of Science than Chemistry or Astronomy, for instance.
The zoological works placed in the hands of students are necessarily so
full of anatomical details, details of classification, and observations upon
the habits and instincts of animals, that very little space has (or could
have) been afforded to notice the wonderful manner in which certain
animals contribute directly to the welfare of mankind, and the methods by
which they may be ctdtivated.
" This remark is especially applicable to the lower classes of animals,
to the Inverlebrata, and to these I have devoted the following pages.
Their investigation in a practical point of view has led, and will still lead,
to very profitable and interesting results. It has been rendered more
interesting of late years by numerous experiments, having for object
the culture and artificial propagation of several of the more valuable
species.
" It is not sufficient to know that such an insect or such a polype is
utilized for certain purposes in the Arts and Manufactures; we must
acquire at the same time a correct idea of the animal itself, and the
position it occupies in the animal kingdom; moreover, we must ascertain
by experiment whether any species already valuable in its natural state
cannot be rendered more so—cannot be submitted to culture, and propagated more extensively by artificial means, and thereby increase the
benefits we derive from it.
" To exhibit the actual state of this interesting question is the task I
have imposed upon myself in the present work, which embraces the
practical history of a great number of animals, and from which I find it
impossible to exclude even the microscopic Infusoria.
" When opportunity has been afforded I have mentioned a few peculiarities observable in several species, for it has been my endeavour to
render the following pages interesting to the general student, as well as
to the practical zoologist."
The idea is not a bad one, and Dr. Phipson appears to have
PHIFSON, ON THE UTILIZATION OF MINUTE LIFE.
195
carried it out with considerable care and success. It sounds
at first strange to hear grubs, insects, animalculse, &c, spoken
of as " domestic animals." " But," says the author—
"But do we not rear our silkworms with as much care as our sheep or
our cows ? Do we not construct houses for our bees, cochineals, snails,
oysters, &c., as we do for our rabbits, our chickens, or our horses T Are
not large fortunes realised by the cultivation of a worm such as the
leech, or a grub such as the silkworm, as readily as by the aid of the
camel of the desert or the Indian elephant f Have we not seen a thimbleful of some new insect or its eggs fetch as high a price in the market as
the choicest Cochin-China fowl r
" It is too true that these inferior beings are comparatively new to us
in thi3 light. But their study affords far greater interest, and, in many
cases, undoubtedly more profit, than that of superior animals.
"Imagine a man in difficult circumstances endeavouring to gain a
livelihood by rearing some new variety of dog, cow, horse, ass, or pig. He
would have greater chance of success were he.to extract some new
colouring matter from the insect world, or discover a means of doubling
the produce of the bee or the silkworm, or a method by which sponges
and corals might be cultivated with as much ease as a lettuce or a
cauliflower.
" My endeavour in this volume is to treat of inferior animals useful to
man, from insects downwards to infusoria and sponges. I leave it to
others to write the useful novelties that may concern quadrupeds, birds,
reptiles, &ndjishes. My observations treat of Invertehrata only.
" Our readers have doubtless heard of a new species of culture which
has lately taken a very extensive development. It is called pisciculture,
or the breeding offish, in which many eminent naturalists have met with
astonishing success. Their secret was, however, known long ago to the
Chinese. When a Chinaman wished to stock a pool with fish, he repaired
to some stream where the latter were known to abound, and placed in it
bundles of straw, which were soon covered with spawn. After a certain
time the straw was withdrawn and placed in his pool, where the eggs
were hatched, and the young fish soon became large enough to satisfy
their master's appetite.
" The writings of Coste, Millet, G6hin, Milne-Edwards, De Quatrefages, Remy, and others, have not only taught us how to stock our
streams with magnificent salmon, trout, grayling, &c, but lead us to
expect that there will soon exist as many different varieties of trout,
salmon, perch, tench, &c, as we have actually of dogs or horses. For
certain closely allied species have been crossed so as to produce new
varieties or races of fish never before seen.
" Similar experiments are being made with inferior animals. The
attention of philosophers and practical men is now directed to the latter.
We speak now of the amelioration of some insect species, of the cultivation of a mollusc or a polype. We begin to see how we can profit by
infusoria or some other animalcuhc."
He might also have adverted to the cultivation of the
oyster, which, when fully carried out, promises, according to
Mr. Buckland, to render a single breeding oyster a sufficient
legacy for a man to leave to his family.
The classes of animals more especially considered by
Dr. Phipson as objects of cultivation, or, as he terms it of
196
PHIPSON, ON THJE UTILIZATION OF MINUTE LIFE.
domestication, are—1. Silk-producing insects—treated of in
Chapter II. Many curious and interesting facts concerning
this useful class of insects will here be found ; and amongst
these one which strongly exemplifies the enormous voracity
and capability of assimilation and consequent rapid growth
to which animal organisms may attain, and which may be
nearly said to equal what is witnessed among some of the
fungi, whose growth can almost be seen :
" The larvae bom from one ounce of eggs require during their first age,
•which lasts five days, about 7 lbs. weight of mulberry leaves. After the
first moulting, and duringthe second age, which lasts only four days, they
require 21 lbs. of leaf. During the third stage, which lasts a week, they
devour 70 lbs, of mulberry leaf; in the fourth stage (also a week),
210 lbs.; and during the fifth stage, from 1200 to 1300 lbs. of leaf. On
the sixth day of this last period, they devour as much as 200 lbs. weight
of leaf, with a noise resembling the fall of a heavy shower of rain. On
the tenth day they cease eating, and are about to undergo their first
metamorphosis."
Another curious and important circumstance here noticed
is the apparent success that has attended the e"ndeavours
to improve the breed of the common silkworm [Bombyx mori)
by M. Andre Jean, of Neuilly. This gentleman has proceeded
upon the principle of selection so extensively adopted in the
breeding of other animals of larger growth. And he has thus
been very successful in creating a valuable race of silkworms,
simply by causing the largest and finest male and female
moths to breed together. The larva; developed from these
eggs are of very large size when compared with the common
silkworm.
He next speaks of colour-producing insects—of insects producing wax, resin, honey, manna, &c. With reference to the
latter substance, or rather to the various substances included
under the term, although he mentions the production of an
edible manna from the Eucalyptus resimfera, he omits to notice
that it is, in fact, the produce of an insect; of which an account
will be found in the fifth volume of this Journal,undertheheadof
" Laap or Lerp." The substance so termed is one highly worthy
of the attention of chemists, more especially as it seems to afford
an instance of the occurrence of a substance similar to that of
which starch-grains are composed, but which is amorphous,
and produced, as it would appear, in a semifluid .form by an
insect which spins it into a beautiful conical habitation,
presenting, under the microscope, very much the appearance of
a Chantilly basket composed of spun sugar.
Then we "have an account of insects employed in medicine,
food, &c. Amongst the latter are some which, in any case,
show to what extremities necessity will compel mankind.
PH1PS0N, ON THE UTILIZATION OP MINUTE LIFE.
197
Not to mention locusts, which are doubtless good and palatable food, what can be said of the natives of New Caledonia,
who devour roasted spiders about an inch long; or of the
Indian children mentioned by Humboldt, who delight in
centipedes eighteen inches long; or of the Mexicans, who
consume in large quantities an aliment composed wholly of
the eggs of a Notonecta, &c. &c.
We have no space to notice the chapters on the Crustacea
and Mollusca. Connected with the latter will be found some
interesting observations on the Tyrian purple, which, however,
would have been perhaps of more importance in an economical
point of view before the introduction of the beautiful aniline
colours. The chapter devoted to " Infusoria and other Animalculse" will be found to contain much matter highly
interesting to microscopists.
" The antiquarian, in bringing the microscope to bear in his researches,
and by the discovery of these siliceous_ shells of Infusoria in various
ancient articles of pottery, and the remains of similar species in the clay
of the vicinity in which they occur, has proved that these vases were
made upon the spot, and not imported from the higher civilised nations
of that day, as had been previously supposed. In like manner thieves
have been tracked and robberies discovered by means of the fossil
Infusoria adhering to the boots of the suspected persons, though the
latter had travelled many miles from the spot where the act was
committed."
And again—
"In the lakes of Sweden there are vast layers of iron oxide almost
exclusively built up by animalcules. This kind of iron-stone is called
lake-ore. In winter the Swedish peasant, who has but little to do in
that season, makes holes in the ice of lake, and with a long pole brings up
mud, &c, until he comes upon an iron bank. A kind of sieve is then let
down to extract the ore. One man can raise in this manner about one
ton per diem.
"Besides the excellent polishing material furnished by these infusorial
deposits, Liebig has recently drawn attention to another application of
which they are susceptible. His observations were made upon an infusorial
deposit which constitutes the under soil of the commons or plains of
Liinebourp:, in Germany; and he has shown that these microscopic
remains, as well as those taken from several other localities, can be very
easily converted into silicate of potash or silicate of soda, sometimes
known as 'soluble glass.'"
The work concludes with a short account of sponges.
It will be seen, from the length of this notice, that we regard
Dr. Phipson's work as one well deserving of attention, and
containing, if not novel, at any rate useful and interesting
information.
198
Conspectus Criticus, Diatomacearum Danicarum.
P H I L . P . A. C. HEIBERG.
By Dr.
Copenhagen, 1863.
THIS work, which is, unfortunately for its ready perusal,
written in the Danish language, professes to give a general
review of the Danish species of diatoms.
I t commences with a general account of the natural history
and' structure of these organisms, and with a definition of the
terms employed in their description, in which, so far as we
are able to make it out, there does not appear to be anything
new, though it contains a good deal of useful historical information with respect to the species noticed by Otto Muller,
Lyngbye, and other Danish writers.
The second part is systematic, and the following table will
serve to show the arrangement followed by the author in the
classification of Danish diatoms :
I. Valves equal (eensdannede).
A. " Front view " symmetrical in the longitudinal axis.
(a) " Side view " circular.
Fam. 1. MELosiREiE, Grunow.
I. Melosira, Ag.
S. Lysigonium, Link.
3. Orthosira, Thwaites.
4. Par alia, n. gen.
(5.) Pyxidicula, Ehr.
(6.) Coscinodiscus, Ehr.
7. Actinocyclus, Ehr.
8. Eupodiscus, Ehr.
9. Auliscus, Ehr.
(b.) " Side view " not circular.
a. " Side view" symmetrical longitudinally.
Fam. 2. BIDDCLPHIEJS, Kutz.
Tribus 1. Biddulphiece genuinee.
10. Cerataulus, Ehr.
I I . Hiddulphia, Gray.
12. Triceratium, Ehr.
13. Amphitetras, Ehr.
DR. HEIBERG, ON DANISH DIATOMACEJE .
Tribus 2. Biddulphiece cuneatce.
{Eucampia, Ehr.)
Fam. 3. HEMIAULIDJE, n.
fam.
Tribus 1. Hemiaulidce genuinm.
14. Hemiaulus, Ehr.
15. Trinacria, n. gen.
16. Solium, ii. gen.
Tribus 2. Hemiaulidce cuneatce.
17. Corinna, n. gen.
Fam. •&. FJUGILARIEJEJ Kutz.
Tribus 1. Fragilariece genuince.
18. Plagiogramma, Greville.
19. Diatoma, Decand.
20. Fragilaria, Lyngb.
(21.) Synedra, Ehr.
Tribus 2. Fragilariece cuneatce.
22. Meridian, Ag.
23. Asterionetta, Hassall.
Fam. 5. STKIATELLBJE, Kutz.
Tribus 1. Striatellece gemdnce.
24. Rhabdonema, Kutz.
25. Tabellaria, Ehr.
26. Grammatophora, Ehr.
27. Striatetta, Ag.
Tribus 2. Slriatellece' cuneatce.
28. Podosphenia, Ehr.
Fam. 6. NAVICULE/E, Kutz.
Tribus 1. Naviculece genuince.
29. Navicula, Borg.
30. Stauroneis, Ehr.
31. Pleurosigma, Sm.
32. Scoliopleura, Grun.
33. Amphiprora, Ehr.
34. Mastogloia, Thwaites.
199
200
DR. HEIBERG, ON DANISH DIATOMACEJE.
Tribus 2. Naviculece cuneata.
35. Gumphonema, Ag.
36. Cocconeis, Ehr.
Fam. 7. SURIRELLE.*, Grun.
Tribus 1. Surirellea genuinca.
37. Surirella, Turpin.
38. Campylodiscus, Ehr.
Tribus 2. Surirellece cuneatas.
39. Novilla, n. gen.
/3. " Side view" unsymmetrical longitudinally.
Fam. 8. EPITHEMIE;E, Grun.
40. Epithemia, Breb.
41. Himantidium, Ehr.
Fam. 9. CYMBELLE,E, Pritch.
42. Cymbella, Ag.
43. Amphora, Ehr.
B. " Front view " unsymmetrical in the longitudinal
axis.
Fam. 10. NITZSCHIE^E, Grun.
44. Nitzschia, Hassall.
. 45. Tryblionella, Sm.
46. Amphipleura, Kutz.
I I . Valves unequal (uensdannede).
Fam. 11. ACNANTHE/E, Grun.
Tribus 1. Achnanthem genuince.
47. Achnanthes, Borg.
48. Achnanthidiwn, Kutz.
Tribus 2. Achnanthecs cuneatce.
49. Rheicosphenia, Grun.