The story of the universe. Volume 4 (of 4)

"The story of the universe. Volume 4 (of 4)" by Esther Singleton is a scientific anthology written in the early 20th century. Focused on the Earth’s creatures, it gathers accessible essays by leading scientists and popular writers to survey the animal kingdom—its forms, classification, evolution, habitats, and striking adaptations—richly illustrated and curated for general readers. The opening of the volume moves from a lyrical call to observe life’s ubiquity (microscopic to colossal) into clear, foundational science. George Henry Lewes evokes omnipresent life, then demonstrates with the microscope how cilia, endosmosis/exosmosis, and development from a single cell lead to complex differentiation. Thomas H. Huxley outlines modern taxonomy, stresses embryology and fossils, and proposes a Protozoa/Metazoa framework with a tentative classification. Baron Cuvier contrasts four grand animal “plans”: Vertebrata, Mollusca, Articulata, and Radiata, each defined by distinct organization. Lord Kelvin then explores deep-sea fauna—globigerina ooze, sponges (notably hexactinellids like Holtenia and Hyalonema), crinoids, and mollusks—highlighting adaptations, abundance, and even sight at abyssal depths. G. Clarke Nuttall explains ocean “fire” largely as the glow of photo-bacteria, whose light depends on oxygen and suitable nutrients. P. Martin Duncan details jelly-fish anatomy and the hydrozoan lifecycle—planula, fixed polyp colonies (e.g., Sertularia, Plumularia, Hydractinia, Campanularia), and free-swimming medusae—showing “alternate generation.

The story of the universe. Volume 4 (of 4), from the public domain. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #77914.