RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1832.01-02. Zoological diary: St. Jago. CUL-DAR30.5-15,15bis,16-17. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Richard Darwin Keynes in Zoology notes (2000, F1840). Revised and supplemented here by Christine Chua to correspond to the manuscript images. Edited by John van Wyhe 6-7.2022. RN1
NOTE: Original transcription reproduced with permission of Richard Darwin Keynes, the Syndics of Cambridge University Library, English Heritage (Down House Collection) and William Huxley Darwin.
(1) Preserved in spirits No. (50).
(b) Jan 30th. Doris. surrounding membrane large.— the pink colour in rays: Branchiæ 12 conical situated in semicircle, with points bent in [sketch] the branchiæ small at extremities the last one with small projection on it: perhaps may be considered as another:— each one with 2 opposite sets of transverse semilunar fringes.— No 79
(d) Jan 31st. Cavolina. tail tapering extremely pointed: feelers long tapering, posterior conical tuberculated: head narrow projecting with foot beneath: Branchiæ in two sets with intermediate dorsal line; placed in curved diagonal lines rows. 9 in each row, interior longer. About 10 rows on each side of back; colour brown with white membranous covering: each branchiæ simple. curved tapering.—
(a) feelers white: Branchiæ short. conical. 8 in number
(c) Feb 5th. Branchiæ plumose. 8 united at their base each arm much branched.— Feelers with tops obliquely lined on a tuberculated footstalk.—
(a) No. 52 & 92
(b) … 53
(c) … 54 & 55 & 106
(d) 56 & 85 & 104
St Jago
1832 Jan 28th
(1) every body who saw it.— The edges of the sheath were orange.— this likewise he varied its tint.— The animal seemed susceptible to small shocks of galvanism: contracting itself & the parts between the point of contact of wires, became almost black.— this in a lesser degree followed from scratching the animal with a needle.— The cups were in double rows on the arms & coloured reddish.—
The eye could be entirely closed by a circular eyelid.— the pupil was of a dark blue.— The animal was slightly phosphorescent at night.—
(a) 52 Doris. body oval. length 3.5 of inch. indigo blue slightly caudate. with surrounding membrane.
(b) 53 Doris length .4 slightly caudate. above light rose red with narrow orange rim: beneath with white marks: feelers & branchiæ white.
(c) 55 54 106 Doris. 1 & 1/2 inch long, oblong, smooth flattened beneath, above convex.— colour Dutch orange, Mottled with chesnut brown.— feelers orange. broard membrane extending round body.— Branchiæ much plumose, a tube leading from right side near anus.—
(d) Cavolina (?) (has not the long feelers figured by Blainville) Jan. 30th mistake Length .6. light flesh coloured, branchiæ dirty brown: feelers 4 white generative organs (?) Much developed on right side:
(a) No. 51
(c) — 57 & 79
(d) — 58 & 79
(e) — 60 : : 62 : 63 : 64
(a) Jan. 30th found some more. Branchiæ straight conical tuberculated.— Mouth whilst dying protruded .1, No. 79
(d) Jan 30th.— head flattened, with semicircular projection beneath mouth. Longitudinal edges folded. No. 79: Feb 5th under stones, about 11 inches long.
(c) 3d Feb.— took another Bulla, with three lines & the intermediate transverse ones waving, therefore the first must have been a variety.
St Jago
1832
Jan. 28th
(a) No. 51 Doris length 1 inch. very narrow cylindrical terminated by a pointed tail — — Membrane round the foot very little extended.— Above white with dark olive brown indentations: 2 narrow lines of orange surrounding back: tail & side blue mottled with white. Beneath & under side of head a fine blue.— Head above dark mottled with white.— Feelers with lower parts blue.— Branchiæ about 14 tufts in number blue tipped with white:— The animal firmly adheres by its tail to the rocks.— When dead & placed in water stains it "China blue".
(c) Bulla. like nitidula: shell with 2 reddish narrow lines following the whorls & sending out on each side alternate waving lines.— Animal transparent. edges of [sketch] membranes with narrow border of yellow, then emerald green.— Membrane itself marked with white opake spots.—
(d) Worm.— about 7 inches long, body highly contractile, flattened, tail tapering.— light flesh coloured with about 20 reddish lines, running longitudinally & on but not quite continuously.—
(e) Fistularia. length, .5-7 inches — Cylindrical: lower part with 4 irregular rows of yellowish papillæ suckers.— back "umber brown". With few papillæ. Tentacula white, surrounding mouth, about 25 or 26 in number.— Tentacula, with round foot stalk. bush shape at top: when expanded .3 in length. top .2 broard.— Body very
(a) 61
(b) 69
(c) 71
(a) Jan. 30th Fistularia. found several more.— when seized they squirted from Anus.— a considerable quantity of milky fluid.— which consisted of numerous fine white threads & most remarkably viscid.— even sticking fingers fast together.— Often has several largish pale coloured rings on the upper surface of the body.
St. Jago
1832
Jan. 28th Musculare.— with bony irregular shaped ring round throat.— They are common amongst beneath the rocks & appear to live on Terebratulæ bellæ.— the sandy coats being in their stomachs.
(a) Fistularia. body shorter. thicker flattened "deep reddish brown" sides with black tipped conaceous paps: tentaculæ more apart. larger. 20 in number.— only one specimen.
All the animals from page 5 were found amongst rocks to the West of Quail Island.—
Jan 30th
(b) Fistularia. length .9. cylindrical soft transparent "primrose yellow": above covered with paps, beneath with suckers in 4 irregular rows: about mouth, about 15 "gamboge yellow" bush-like tentacula.
(c) 71 Aplysia length 1 & 1/2 inches, body lengthened: back convex: foot narrow: tail pointed: posterior feelers small, approximate, near to dorsal cavity; anterior feelers, dilated; edges simple, larger, covering mouth; may be considered as a folding membrane, with division near mouth: sides dirty flesh colour: beneath darker: membrane from operculum spotted with purple.— Branchiæ protruding, flesh colour: emitted purple liquor when taken: the folds of mantle seem to be used to aid respiration, or to cause water to flow over Branchiæ.
(a) No. 70
(b) … 80 & 106 This animal according to Blain has only been (found in S Hemisphere!
(c) … 81
(d) … 83
(e) … 86
(b) Peronia — — Onchidium, Cuvier, who says 2 long retractile tentacula?
(f) 87
(b) Peronia March 29th At the Abrolhos found a nest of the Onchidium on a Coronula; which was adhering to a rock at high water mark: It looked different from those I caught at St Jago. Animal oval. Mantle fleshy, feelers very short tipped with black.— The length of specim varied from .2 to exceeding minute ones.— beneath white; above slightly tuberculated blackish green. a dorsal mark darker: pale rings on back giving a tortoise like appearance to the animal: pale lines from the centre to the circumference; these are best seen when by suction the animal firmly fixes itself to a flat surface.— Crawls very slowly.— V. No 174 Spirits
St. Jago
1832
(a) Actinia. Short, height 3/4, breadth 3/4.— Tentacula numerous. lengthened, pointed. "wood brown" bottom do: sides smooth dark greenish black with on overlapping edges about 10 bright blue spots.
(b) Peronia. No 106 in Spirits (No & 80) (Blain) .5, long oval flat; membrane contracted by anus, covering body, not broard, edges irregular.— upper surface blackish green covered with paps: beneath pale: Feelers short with black tips:— mouth divided longitudinally: over it a projecting bilabiate membrane (not very unlike anterior feelers of Aplysia).— Found in clusters under large stones at low water: when kept in a basin Crawled up sides.— Opening for lungs large, cylindrical cartilaginous.—
(c) Actinia. .2 in heighth, globular, bare grey fibrous sides, "smoke grey" streaks longitudinally, overlapping edges darker.— tentacula greenish grey dappled.
(d) Alcyonium. spherical with short footstalk, base flattened. wrinkled.— colour light "Auricular purple". polypi darker.
(e) No. 86 Doris. oval, length .3, foot narrow: mantle fleshy little projecting.— Branchiæ short, upright, fimbriated, 10 in number.— Back slightly tuberculated of dirty light flesh colour.— with numerous rings of a darker tint —
(f) Doris. No 87 length .8, oblong: broad posteriorly: foot narrow mantle much projecting, with few brown spots. Branchiæ. large membranous, 6 in number, edges much divided: back light "liver brown". Slightly tuberculated, with darker patches
(a) 94
(b) 96
(c) 103
(d) 99 …….. 102
St. Jago
1832
Actinia (a) Actinia. cylindrical, length 1 & 1/2 inches, breadth 1/2: base contracted: sides longitudinally streaked with white point on the line.— these are bigger & more numerous in the upper folding edges & with small intermediate ones.— disk large flat: tentacula not numerous.— Body pale flesh colour, tentacula darker with paler bases .— The animal contract[s] body into a ring in any part of cylinder.—
Alcyonium (b) Alcyonium. growing in clusters: body spherical on a footstalk .2 high: fine purple, semi transparent.
Doris (c) 103 Doris: Length .4. breadth .25. fine orange: foot narrow: mantle much projecting, broardly oval. Posterior Feelers short, conical, with slanting lines, tipped with white: Branchiæ 6 much divided branched, divided into two groups: tipped with white.— Feelers & Branchiæ darker reddish orange.— Feb 5th.—
Caryophillia (d) Found growing on the lower surface of rocks at low tide, 2 Caryophillia differing chiefly in colour. The stony part in both is of an "Aurora red", but in the one the back & part of animal is of an brilliant "orpiment orange", in the other of a bright "Gamboge yellow": in no part was the difference of colour so striking as in the internal tube or lip: perhaps also the orange coloured one was more sluggish in its motion & its lip was more fleshy.— I found them twice
St. Jago
1832
Caryophillia united so close together that the internal stony parts were joined or grafted: Are they different species? — The following observations were made on the yellow sort.— but they equally seem to apply to the orange one .— Height varying from one to two inches: diameter at extremity .3.— When thin covering of fleshy soft part is removed the coral is longitudinally striated & with fainter & more irregular & transverse ones:— At Extremity the points project.— Vide PL. 2. Fig 1. (the extremity here represents poly tentacula retracted). Coral interiorly consists in the broarder branches of longitudinal plates; in the older & lower parts transverse divisions which being placed one below the other give a step like appearance, Fig. 7.— A transverse section gives a star like a with from a few in the younger to 20 in the older branches, Fig. 6.— The coral when dead becomes white & the centre part dies first, the dotted line Fig 7 represents this.— The animal situated in the cup at extremity consists of an exterior row of slightly tuberculated conical tentacula about 30 in number, with aperture at extremity & growing on a fleshy highly retractile ring.— Fig. 2, magnified: Fig 3, extremity: Fig 4, outer circle tentacula retracted.— Within the tentacula is a short projecting oral bilabiate tube, with 20 longitudinal ribs.— in smaller animals there are fewer.— This largely On upper part between each rib are is a minute dot.— This tube or lip can widely expand & fall fold back, & through it is seen large cavity: in Fig 4 it is seen in centre
(a) 98. 99. & 127 & 128
(a) This membrane is continually in motion & highly sensative
(b) Valve is fixed half way down the shell & is transversely lined.
St. Jago
1832 Feb 3d
Caryophillia nearly closed: Fig. 5. magnified nearly closed & folding back: The cavity as seen through lip rests on the longitudinal division of coral & is lined with apparently fleshy ribs crossing each other.— When the animal is left perfectly at rest & the lip is expanded there is protruded a delicate membrane, with thick edges, folded up like bud of plant, Fig 8: It is this which causes rib like appearance in cavity.— In the older branches one of these membranes is seen projecting from the end of each longitudinal division, when the outer ring of tentacula & lip are dissected away:— in the younger they (as well as transverse division in corals) are less numerous but extend much deeper down.—
The eggs are slowly sent out of animals mouth, are oval, orange colour, in diameter .04 of inch, they contain numerous irregular shaped grains, varying from .001 to .0001 in size.
(a) Pyrgoma. On both Caryophillia the shell is fixed.— Shell subglobular, conical; aperture small oval subcentral; calcareous smooth plate within, descending half way: externally an external crenulated ring, at which shell divides easily.— (b) Valve is fixed in two pieces folding at one end. PL 2. Fig 11.— It is by curling in this end & joining the sides that the animal protects itself.— Through this valve the animal alternately protrudes & withdraws its ciliæ & has the power expanding them & giving a rotatory motion to them: These ciliæ
(a) I believe this is not correct. the membranous bag rests on a cup-shaped base, which is as firmly imbedded in the Corals as easily to be mistaken for part of it.— The coral grows up around the base & half hides it.— & the soft back generally envelopes almost the whole shell.— In short the egg evidently fixes]itself between the outside part & the central strong axis.— This animal differs from Pyrgoma of Blainville in the shell not being thick & strength on each side.— & from that of Cuvier in not being much depressed. All authors say animal unknown.
1835 Octr.─ Appendix to P. 12
Caryophillia Ova (3261) Having placed a living Specimen of this Corall in Basin of water whilst at James Id in the Galapagos.— soon observed several orange coloured ovules swimming in the water. When the eye was four feet from the basin a progressive motion might be very distinctly seen.— Ova generally elongated oval, the narrower end slightly truncated.— length about 1/3 of inch.— body contractile as to alter form.— The motion is progressive, steady & quick. the obtuse end being the head.— Frequently there is also a random motion on the longer axis, but likewise on every possible axis.— A vibratory motion, with higher power might be seen on the surface, & a quick motion in the particles in the closely surrounding fluid.— When dead is surrounded by a halo of gelatinous matter, which I believe but am not sure is formed by the vibratory organs.— These probably coat the whole surface. I judge from the revolving motion on such varying axises.—
Can fix itself temporarily to side of Watch Glass with sufficient force to resist the motion communicated to the Water.— Amongst some Ovules, one differed in form — perhaps being more developed — this was flask shaped [sketch].— Power of attachment lay in broard basis & which end always mounted first — Apex colored more reddish orange. Here there is a most obscure trace of orifice & diverging rays.— Is not this a young Polypus, within which the stony plates will be produced? I may remark that on the Corall, near its base, there were several minute living Polypi attached.— The motion of Ovules noticed in the Sertulariæ & Flustraceæ is now known to exist in the Lamelliform Coralls.
St. Jago
1832
Pyrgoma surround the tube.— They are arranged in two rows obliquely on a wedge shaped projection: The ciliæ are united at bases into pairs of which there are 4 5 on each side. 3 pairs The centre ones are delicate articulate upright stalks with curled heads & hair from each side. the outside ones are merely curved at their extremities.— the other two pairs are much shorter & thicker & straight. Within these ciliæ is the trunk (or anus according to Cuvier). it is as long as the ciliæ, contracted at the base, where it is united itself to the animal, & when seen under a high power appears to be made of rings.— Behind this & between 2 centre pairs of ciliæ is a sharp pointed projection.— The ciliæ are protruded at the folded end of valve.— At the other end is situated a conical triangular divided projection, surrounding by 6 small ciliæ, the two outside delicate, hairy, articulated & in continual perpendicular motion. 2 very small ones over division of the mouth (?) & 2 on the sides.— The 2 outermost ciliæ & tips of the other is the only part of animal that I have seen project beyond valve.—
The animals body is terminated by an intestine shaped bag containing eggs.— this rests on a membranous cup which rests on the Coral (a) so that there is no calcareous bottom to the shell.— Eggs are white, numerous, pointed, oval, with a darker substance in the interior: in some externally there
(c) 14. 18. 29. 30. 31. in spirits.─ Shell in operculum & bones our of stomach 100. not in spirits.─
(a) No. 199. not spirits
(b) … 200 not spirits. fucus
(Jania, Lamouroux)
St. Jago
1832 Feb:
Pyrgoma are a few small hairy ciliæ or arms which rapidly move.— I should undoubtedly have thought it a microscopic crustaceæ.— if I had not myself extracted it.— Vide Pl. 2, Fig. 9 & 10: 9 on Coral: 10 animal out of its shell & membranous valve, much too thick: Ciliæ too short: very badly drawn.—
Jania 199 (a) Jania dichotomous, very much branched; short reddish: stems jointed, joints transparent, cylindrical, striated, diameter .002. Heads globular, with neck transparent.— Neither Spirits of Wine or fresh water had any perceptible effect.— Feb 3d. — Vide PL. 3, Fig. 1.—
Bacillarièes (b) Bacillarièes (Dic. Class:) growing on Jania. Vide PL 3, Fig 2.— drawn 200 times natural size.— Fig 3.— on a Fucus: Fig 4, in the sea, invisible to naked eye.—
Aplysia. (c) Aplysia narrow in front, rounder behind, with little tail: Mantle large, divided at each end. Anus surrounded with membrane: Shell transparent, oval, slightly beaked, with one shoulder scalloped out.— length about 5 inches. of a dirty "primrose yellow" traced with veins & rings of a purplish
generally {"umber brown" colour; about 10 veins rings in number on each side, 2 on head.— Anterior feelers white.— Operculum purplish with purple descending fold, with a mark on centre. Foot of a darker yellow.— Stomach much contracted in centre, terminating in a sheath of muscles, round which are 7 to 10 pyramidal bits of semitransparent horn or teeth varying in size, one with another.— Within Stomach contains a quantity of a delicate pink Fucus & small pebbles, which I suppose are used like those in birds gizzards; in
(a) 84 & 105
(b) Paper when stained with this beautiful colour. after a few days changed into a dirty red.─
St. Jago
1832 Feb
Aplysia (b) the intestine, these appear to have been ground into sand.— These animals are very common, abounding amongst the stones at low water mark, especially where there is any mud.— I saw some small ones only one inch long.— When disturbed they emitted from under operculum a great (b) quantity of a "Purplish red" fluid enough to stain the water for over a foot round; When handled, the slime or purple caused a pricking sensation like the Physalia.— I never saw them use their mantle for swimming.— If this animal is Aplysia depilans Linn: all authors badly describe the colour & zone of habitation: Blainville gives the animal too much tail.─
Planaria (a) 84 & 105 Planaria (?) Jan 30th. W of Quail Island. Vide PL:3: Fig. 5.— length one inch, breadth 3/4.1 — oval, creeping. highly contractile & active.— Body very flat. soft membranous.— divided anteriorly & posteriorly.— Pale. above finely reticulated with brownish purple.— At one extremity (A) there on the under side there are two paplike retractable orifices; the anterior one of which is largest.— From this point are sent off diverging rays — which nearly reach to the border: these act as muscles.— & when the animal contracts any part of body the rays to that part are raised.— A nearly continuous tube runs through the length of the animal, connecting the
(a) VP. 192. for some particulars respecting this organ observed in a terrestrial Planaria.─
St. Jago
1832 Feb
Planaria anterior orifices with one posterior one.— At middle of animal on each side of central tube is a mass of angular white grains.— & just above it a small orifice
(B). This orifices is generally closed, & then invisible.— but the animal having been kept some time opened it, & through came out folds of highly transparent membrane continually contracting & dilating itself.— When first protruded it is
(a) folded up like bud of plant, but when expanded seems to be deeply divided into inverted wedge shaped portions, & extends as far as edge of body of animal.— When within, the membrane had a star like appearance.— As soon as animal died this membrane remained protruded & there likewise appeared to come another from between the granular white substance.— This latter substance likewise burst & sent forth numberless round balls, which I conceive to be the ova.— Under microscope the outer membrane consisted of numerous green grains & some larger brown egg shaped masses.— In death the its body became almost instantly soft & as it were dissolved in the water.—
[in margin:] See better Specimen Planaria
I could not preserve this specimen, but I afterwards procured another, which has kept well in Spirits of Wine.— Animal lives under stones which are imbedded in the shore at low-water mark.— It is very active & irritable, & has the power
(a) 105
(b) Do
St. Jago
1832 Feb
Planaria of adhering most remarkably close to the stones.— This animal cannot be a true Planaria, although its external characters would show it to be such.— Its habits are more that of a Nereis: but as to its strange organization I am at a loss to what to refer it.—
Planaria (a) Planaria. omit length 1 & 1/2 inches. breadth .4: oblong: very flat, an elevated line running down the back, sending off lines on each side: Beneath the bands of a yellow substance bordering a central transparent space.— Signs of an aperture at each extremity.— Above light "Chesnut brown", beneath pale.— Habits similar to the first Planaria.— These animals evidently are closely allied, but differ in this latter one being narrower, of a different colour, & not being oval at each extremity.— But yet what a wide disparity between their Organizations!
Planaria (b) Planaria. omit length .7. breadth .2, very flat.— above pale brown.— sending off branched lines, especially on anterior parts.— Beneath pale, with anterior transparent spot (mouth?). Posterior spot likewise: Round anterior one, on each side are two rows of black specks, which contract with the animals skin.— Like former one crawls & sticks to stones: likewise can swim by a vertical motion of its body: often rolls itself into X a ball.— Vide PL. 3, Fig. 6.—
(a) 105
(b) 107
[page gap]
(x) Upon this, there are black spots, like eyes, fixed.─
St. Jago
1832
Planaria (a) Planaria. flat, linear, length (when fully extended) one inch, breadth .05: white, semi transparent, with a slightly elevated dorsal line: mouth retractile, with on each side short, curved feeler.— On these & mouth there is an irregular row Beneath with white opake mass of black specks.— Habits like the last: swims well, crawls with rapidity & occasionally walks on its extremities like a Leach.—
Vide PL 3, Fig. 7.— Feb 5th W of Quail Island.—
Cleodora or Creseis Cleodora or Creseis, Rang: Feb 14th. 2°30′ N.—
Shell extremely linear, pointed, length .4, diam .03.— straight.— Animal slight tinge of red: Membranous wing divided into three lobes.— 2 large, reticulated, orbicular, with pointed ears on each side.— The third is small: The animal easily propels itself by the 2 large ones.— keeping always that the lowest side of body the lowest in water.— Between them is a small linear opening with tube leading from it.— Surrounding this are excessively minute ciliæ, which continue in such rapid motion that they are scarcely visible, & would not be perceived were it not for the motion communicated to all small particles near them.— These wings are situated on (a) a footstalk or neck which leads into cavity of body.— This cavity consists of a membranous sheath or mantle, which terminates at the pointed extremity of the shell.— It is by the contraction of this that the animal is able to draw in his wings or head.—
(n) (107
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 25 September, 2022