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The Whence and the Whither of Man - A Brief History of His Origin and Development through Conformity to Environment; Being the Morse Lectures of 1895 by John Mason Tyler
page 70 of 331 (21%)
campaign, developed a powerful beak, led a life like that of the old
Norse pirates, and were for a time the rulers and terrors of the
sea. With their more rapid locomotion the supra-oesophageal
ganglion reached a higher degree of development, and it was served
by sense-organs of great efficiency. They reduced the external
shell, and succeeded, in the highest forms, of almost ridding
themselves of this burden and encumbrance. Traces of it remain in
the squids, but transformed into an internal quill-like, supporting,
not defensive, skeleton. They have retraced the downward steps of
their ancestors as far as they could. And the high development of
their supra-oesophageal ganglion and sense-organs, and their
powerful jaws and arms, or tentacles, show to what good purpose they
have struggled. But the struggle was in vain, as far as the
supremacy of the animal kingdom was concerned. Their ancestors had
taken a course which rendered it impossible for their descendants to
reach the goal. Their progress became ever slower. They were
entirely and hopelessly beaten by the vertebrates. They struggled
hard, but too late.

The history of mollusks is full of interest. They show clearly how
intimately nervous development is connected with the use of the
locomotive organs. The snail crept, and slightly increased its
nervous system and sense-organs. The clam almost lost them in
connection with its stationary life. The cephalopods were
exceedingly active, developed, therefore, keen sense-organs and a
very large and complicated supra-oesophagal ganglion, which we
might almost call a brain.

The articulate series consists of two groups of animals. The higher
group includes the crabs, spiders, thousand-legs, and finally the
DigitalOcean Referral Badge