DuringourdifferentpassagessouthofthePlata,Ioftentowedasternanetmadeofbunting,andthuscaughtmanycuriousanimals。OfCrustaceathereweremanystrangeandundescribedgenera。One,whichinsomerespectsisalliedtotheNotopodsorthosecrabswhichhavetheirposteriorlegsplacedalmostontheirbacks,forthepurposeofadheringtotheundersideofrocks,isveryremarkablefromthestructureofitshindpairoflegs。Thepenultimatejoint,insteadofterminatinginasimpleclaw,endsinthreebristle-likeappendagesofdissimilarlengths——thelongestequallingthatoftheentireleg。Theseclawsareverythin,andareserratedwiththefinestteeth,directedbackwards:theircurvedextremitiesareflattened,andonthispartfivemostminutecupsareplacedwhichseemtoactinthesamemannerasthesuckersonthearmsofthecuttle-fish。
Astheanimallivesintheopensea,andprobablywantsaplaceofrest,Isupposethisbeautifulandmostanomalousstructureisadaptedtotakeholdoffloatingmarineanimals。
Indeepwater,farfromtheland,thenumberoflivingcreaturesisextremelysmall:southofthelatitude35degs。,Ineversucceededincatchinganythingbesidessomeberoe,andafewspeciesofminuteentomostracouscrustacea。Inshoalerwater,atthedistanceofafewmilesfromthecoast,verymanykindsofcrustaceaandsomeotheranimalsarenumerous,butonlyduringthenight。Betweenlatitudes56and57degs。southofCapeHorn,thenetwasputasternseveraltimes;itnever,however,broughtupanythingbesidesafewoftwoextremelyminutespeciesofEntomostraca。Yetwhalesandseals,petrelsandalbatross,areexceedinglyabundantthroughoutthispartoftheocean。Ithasalwaysbeenamysterytomeonwhatthealbatross,whichlivesfarfromtheshore,cansubsist;Ipresumethat,likethecondor,itisabletofastlong;andthatonegoodfeastonthecarcassofaputridwhalelastsforalongtime。ThecentralandintertropicalpartsoftheAtlanticswarmwithPteropoda,Crustacea,andRadiata,andwiththeirdevourerstheflying-fish,andagainwiththeirdevourersthebonitosandalbicores;
IpresumethatthenumerouslowerpelagicanimalsfeedontheInfusoria,whicharenowknown,fromtheresearchesofEhrenberg,toaboundintheopenocean:butonwhat,intheclearbluewater,dotheseInfusoriasubsist?
WhilesailingalittlesouthofthePlataononeverydarknight,theseapresentedawonderfulandmostbeautifulspectacle。Therewasafreshbreeze,andeverypartofthesurface,whichduringthedayisseenasfoam,nowglowedwithapalelight。Thevesseldrovebeforeherbowstwobillowsofliquidphosphorus,andinherwakeshewasfollowedbyamilkytrain。Asfarastheeyereached,thecrestofeverywavewasbright,andtheskyabovethehorizon,fromthereflectedglareoftheselividflames,wasnotsoutterlyobscureasoverthevaultoftheheavens。
......购买会员看全站小说,或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载,搜索"THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE",免费读到尾