,
ON snntn-rrsnns AND CUTTLEE‘ISHES.
'
‘
19
,
-
-
supply—is evidence that the ways of nature are fullofpurpose…l
though they may not always be understood:
:
_
_
_
}
-
Man’s inuence over the preceding mollusks is limited to
the inshore, and especially the tidal mussel, cockle, clam, and -
Ï '
oyster-beds‘, to the periwinkle, limpet, and ear-shell between_
tide—marks, and there it ceases. Even were he to destroy every
'. '
müssel, cockle, clam, and oyster-bed within his reach, the gaps
_
would be lled up by forms (including those mentioned) beyond
’
his. power, and the wealth of molluscan life maintained to a
succeeding generations.
The. operations of nature
are on too vast a scale for hisinteirference._ By a singlest0rhi Ï
she teaches him the inefciencyof dredge,trawland net,
strews the beach'with myriads of shell—‘shes of every size,
or
none
which are ever disturhed by his operations,
which prove a valuable harvest of bait to the shermen, and
perhaps bring many a predatory foodïsh inshore in
the easily captured spoil.
More powerful.than the “
the boring shell—shes (Xylophaga and Teredo) tunnelthen‘
in submerged timber of all kinds and rapidly d1s1nteg1at€
_
the masses of wood borne —to the sea by great rivers. Mancan
_
neither arrest their ravages in unprotected wood th10ughout
.
the ocean, nor utilize their labours as he desires.
_
From
times, again, cuttleshes have been usedas‘ fOo‘Çl._
_
by man, and still more exteänsively by the larger shes, suchas
_
the bonito, as well as by the whales. No delicacy Was valued
.more highly amongst the ancients on“ the eastern
of the
_Mediterranean than these mollusks.
In modern times ,Î they
have been eagerly sought for bait and'so highly
”
many as possible are captured for this purpose, both on 0111
Ï‘
own and other shores.
Some whales, such as the Spam-Whale
_
(Fig. p. 20), live toa large extent on them, so that when this
‘_ - ’
species was more Common than it is now the annualconsump—
_' . .tiônfmust have been great‘. The majority of the cuttleshes
_
+afe, however, pelagic in
_
their adult state, and they0ung0f
wh1mtbm
,
ON snntn-rrsnns AND CUTTLEE‘ISHES.
'
‘
19
,
-
-
supply—is evidence that the ways of nature are fullofpurpose…l
though they may not always be understood:
:
_
_
_
}
-
Man’s inuence over the preceding mollusks is limited to
the inshore, and especially the tidal mussel, cockle, clam, and -
Ï '
oyster-beds‘, to the periwinkle, limpet, and ear-shell between_
tide—marks, and there it ceases. Even were he to destroy every
'. '
müssel, cockle, clam, and oyster-bed within his reach, the gaps
_
would be lled up by forms (including those mentioned) beyond
’
his. power, and the wealth of molluscan life maintained to a
succeeding generations.
The. operations of nature
are on too vast a scale for hisinteirference._ By a singlest0rhi Ï
she teaches him the inefciencyof dredge,trawland net,
strews the beach'with myriads of shell—‘shes of every size,
or
none
which are ever disturhed by his operations,
which prove a valuable harvest of bait to the shermen, and
perhaps bring many a predatory foodïsh inshore in
the easily captured spoil.
More powerful.than the “
the boring shell—shes (Xylophaga and Teredo) tunnelthen‘
in submerged timber of all kinds and rapidly d1s1nteg1at€
_
the masses of wood borne —to the sea by great rivers. Mancan
_
neither arrest their ravages in unprotected wood th10ughout
.
the ocean, nor utilize their labours as he desires.
_
From
times, again, cuttleshes have been usedas‘ fOo‘Çl._
_
by man, and still more exteänsively by the larger shes, suchas
_
the bonito, as well as by the whales. No delicacy Was valued
.more highly amongst the ancients on“ the eastern
of the
_Mediterranean than these mollusks.
In modern times ,Î they
have been eagerly sought for bait and'so highly
”
many as possible are captured for this purpose, both on 0111
Ï‘
own and other shores.
Some whales, such as the Spam-Whale
_
(Fig. p. 20), live toa large extent on them, so that when this
‘_ - ’
species was more Common than it is now the annualconsump—
_' . .tiônfmust have been great‘. The majority of the cuttleshes
_
+afe, however, pelagic in
_
their adult state, and they0ung0f
wh1mtbm
,