Ascidian

“ Attention has been recently directed in a special manner to the resemblance which exists between the eye of the larval sea-squirt and that of vertebrates—a statement to be taken along with that which conversely declares the unlikeness of the ascidian eye to that of all other invertebrate animals. It is matter of fact that the chief parts of the eye of a vertebrate animal grow inward as developments from the skin, and unite with an outgrowth from the brain. ”

“ Many of the forms reproduce by geminmation, and in most of them the sexually-produced embryo develops into a tailed larva.
The Ascidiacea includes three groups—the simple Ascidians, the compound Ascidians and the free-swimming colonial Pyrosoma.
Sub-Order I.—Ascidiae simplices.
Fixed Ascidians which are solitary and very rarely reproduce by gemmation; if colonies are formed, the members are not buried in a common investing mass, but each has a distinct test of its own. No strict line of demarcation can be drawn between the simple and the compound Ascidians, and Simple Ascidians. ”

“ Fam. 3. Cynthiidae.—Solitary fixed Ascidians (Fig. 39) , sometimes occurring in aggregations, but never forming colonies; usually with leathery or fibrous, opaque test, which is sometimes encrusted with sand; branchial and atrial apertures usually both four-lobed. Branchial sac longitudinally folded (Fig. 36, A) ; stigmata straight; tentacles simple or compound (Fig. 37) ; neural gland dorsal to ganglion; gonads attached to body-wall. This family is divided into three sections ”

“ The Ascidians—a family of fixed Tunicates—present societies to some extent organically connected. They are grouped by a common connection of their mantles, or rise successively from a common stem, through which an organic unity is established. Yet their individuality continues ”

“ With their help, and that of Sir John Richardson, he obtained from the admiralty an appointment as assistant surgeon to a ship then stationed at Woolwich, with leave of absence which enabled him to arrange the materials amassed during his voyage, and to prepare his notes for publication. Accordingly in 1851 he published two memoirs on the Ascidians, in which several aberrant genera (especially appendicularia and doliolum) are shown to be modifications of the same morphological type as that found in other ascidians ”

“ Many of the Compound Ascidians die down in winter; but amongst Polyclinidae, as in Clavelina, a form of hibernation is found, the old ascidiozooids dying, but some of the buds in the basal part of the colony accumulating a large store of reserve-material in their ectoderm, and lying dormant until spring, when they regenerate the colony.
Group B. HOLOSOMATA.
Body short, compact, with viscera by the side of branchial sac; budding parietal
Fam. 6. Botryllidae.—Ascidiozooids grouped in systems round common cloacal apertures (Fig. 53) . ”

“ Finally, after the absorption of the Cyathozooid, the Ascidiozooids form a rudimentary colony of four individuals enveloped in a common test. The two atrial tubes of each zooid remain separate in front but unite posteriorly. An anus is formed leading from the rectum into the common posterior part of the atrial cavity; and an opening is established between the posterior end of the atrial cavity of each Ascidiozooid and the common axial cloacal cavity of the whole colony. The atrial cavities in Pyrosoma are clearly lined by epiblast, just as in simple Ascidians. ”

“ It is now known to be a degenerate branch of the Chordata, and to be more nearly related to the Vertebrata than to any group of the Invertebrata. The Tunicata are found in all seas, from the littoral zone down to abyssal depths. They occur either fixed or free, solitary, aggregated or in colonies. The fixed forms are the “simple” and “compound” Ascidians. The colonies are produced by budding and the members are conveniently known as Ascidiozooids. Some Tunicata undergo alternation of generations, and most of them show a retrograde metamorphosis in their life-history. ”

“ The third species, P. atlanticum, was discovered by Péron and Lesueur in the Equatorial seas.
These curious Ascidians are so created in rings as to constitute a long fine cylindrical tube, closed at one end and open at the other. By the contraction and dilatation of the mass of beings, this great cylinder swims slowly through the open sea, lighting up the ocean with its phosphorescent light, shining through the water like a glowing fire. Mr. ”

“ Goodsiria pedunculata from the Straits of Magellan, forms a rounded cartilaginous mass attached by a short peduncle; sometimes several masses are attached to each other. Each of the small dark oval areas on the surface corresponds to the branchial and atrial orifices of one ascidiozooid.
Sub-order 3.—Ascidæ Salpiformes. The Salpiform Ascidians comprise only one genus, Pyrosoma, which occurs in the form of free-swimming colonies shaped like hollow cylinders closed and rounded at one end and open and truncate at the other (Fig. 19) . ”

“ Ascidiinae.—Internal longitudinal bars present; stigmata straight. Many genera, of which the following are the more important:—Ciona, Fleming, dorsal languets present; Ascidia, Linnaeus (in part Phallusia, Savigny) , dorsal lamina {73}present (Fig. 15, p. 40) ; Rhodosoma, Ehrenberg, anterior part of test modified to form operculum (Fig. 34, D) ; Abyssascidia, Herdman, intestine on right side of branchial sac. The type genus of this section, Ascidia, has been described in detail above (Chapter II. p. 39) , and Figs. 15 to 26 illustrate its structure and life-history. There are many species. ”

“ When I heard this, I shook my fists in Ascyltos' face, "What have you to say for yourself," I snarled, "you rutting pathic harlot, whose very breath is infected?" Ascyltos pretended to bristle up and, shaking his fists more boldly still, he roared: "Won't you keep quiet, you filthy gladiator, you who escaped from the criminal's cage in the amphitheatre to which you were condemned (for the murder of your host?) Won't you hold your tongue, you nocturnal assassin, who, even when you swived it bravely, never entered the lists with a decent woman in your life? ”

“ Formation of ascidia or pitchers.—In the preceding paragraphs, the formation of tubular or horn-like structures, from the union of the margins of one organ, or from the coalescence, or it may be from the want of separation of various organs, has been alluded to, so that it seems only necessary now, by way of summary, to mention the classification of ascidia proposed by Professor Charles Morren [29] , who divides the structures in question into two heads, according as they are formed from one or more leaves. ”

“ Ascyltos made no objection to this, but merely remarked, "As we, in our capacity of scholars, have accepted an invitation to dinner, for this date, let us not lose our night. Since it seems to be the graceful thing to do, I will look out for another lodging and another 'brother,' tomorrow." "Deferred pleasures are a long time coming," I sighed. It was lust that made this separation so hasty, for I had, for a long time, wished to be rid of a troublesome chaperon, so that I could resume my old relations with my Giton. ”

“ Ascyltos, in turn, cast a glance at the shoulders of our rustic customer, and was instantly struck dumb with astonishment. Nor could I myself look upon this man without some emotion, for he seemed to be the identical person who had picked up the ragged tunic in the lonely wood, and, as a matter of fact, he was! Ascyltos, afraid to believe the evidence of his own eyes for fear of doing something rash, approached the man, as a prospective buyer, took the hem of the tunic from the rustic’s shoulders, and felt it thoroughly. ”

“ Had I not begrudged my enemy such a triumph, I would have laid violent hands upon myself. Flushed with success, Ascyltos marched out with his prize, and abandoned, in a strange town, a comrade in the depths of despair; one whom, but a little while before, he had loved most unselfishly, one whose destiny was so like his own.
As long as is expedient, the name of friendship lives,
Just as in dicing, Fortune smiles or lowers;
When good luck beckons, then your friend his gleeful service gives
But basely flies when ruin o'er you towers. ”

“ While Ascyltos was telling me of his bad luck, who should come up again but this same very respectable looking person, in company with a woman not at all bad looking, and, looking at Ascyltos, he requested him to enter the house, assuring him that there was nothing to fear, and, since he was unwilling to take the passive part, he should have the active. ”

“ Ascyltos, when he had secured silence, adroitly put a stop to their laughter by exclaiming, "We can see that each puts the greater value upon his own property. Let them return our tunic to us, and take back their mantle!" ”

“ On learning this, the Scythians were far too gentlemanly to continue the strife, and, little by little, they established the most friendly relations with the Amazons. These ladies, however, objected to go to the Scythians’ homes, for, as they pertinently put it, “We never could live with the women of your county, because we have not the same customs with them. We shoot with the bow, throw the javelin, and ride on horseback, and have never learnt the employments of women. ”

“ Ganymede ran forward, and dashed open the door. Ixion was alone.
‘Seize him!’ said Jove.
‘Juno is not here,’ said Mercury, with an air of blended congratulation and disappointment.
‘Never mind,’ said Jove; ‘seize him! He kept me waiting for dinner.’
‘Is this your hospitality, Ægiochus?’ exclaimed Ixion, in a tone of bullying innocence. ‘I shall defend myself.’
‘Seize him, seize him!’ exclaimed Jupiter. ‘What! do you all falter? Are you afraid of a mortal?’
‘And a Thessalian?’ added Ganymede. ”

“ For eighty years Assyria had been in contact with the Scythians, and the Assyrian kings had never ceased to keep an eye upon their movements, or lose sight of the advantage to which their bellicose temper might be turned in circumstances like the present. They had pitted them against the Cimmerians, then against the Medes, and probably against the kings of Urartu as well, and the intimacy between the two peoples came to be so close that the Scythian king Bartatua did not hesitate to demand one of the daughters of Bsarhaddon in marriage. ”

“ Gito, that he might not seem to consider, at my consent jump'd up, and chose Ascyltos.
I, like one thunderstruck, at the sentence, void of defence, fell upon the bed, and had not surviv'd the loss, if envy of my rival had not stopp'd my sword.
Ascyltos, proud of the conquest, goes off with the prize, leaving me expos'd in a strange place, that before he caress'd as a friend and sharer of his fortune:
'Tis in the world, as in a game of chess;
We serve our friends but where our profit is.
When fortune smiles, we're yours, and yours alone ”

“ Ascyltos repelled this suspicion, affirming that he sought nothing except his own fugitive and desired the death of neither man nor suppliant, and least of all did he wish to harm one whom, now that their quarrel was over, he regarded as his dearest friend. ”

“ The name of Ixion has been identified with the Sanskrit word Akshanah, denoting one who is bound to a wheel, and has been proved akin “to the Greek axôn, the Latin axis, and the English axle.” This whirling wheel of fire is the bright orb of day, to which he was bound by order of Jupiter (the sky) because he dared insult Juno (the queen of the blue air) ; while Dia, his wife, is the dawn, the counterpart of Europa, Coronis, Daphne, Procris, Eurydice, and Venus, in the foregoing illustrations. ”

“ It is Æschylus, and not Euripides, who fills the bitter air of the Scythian ravine with music of wings and words more sweet than sleep to the weary, with notes of heavenly pity and love unsubduable by fear; who shows us with one touch of terrible tenderness the maiden agony of Iphigenia, smiting with the piteous dart of her eye each one of the ministers of sacrifice, in dumb show as of a picture striving to speak to them ”

“ Awaking at last, I felt the bed over and found that it had been despoiled of its treasure; then, by all that lovers hold dear, I swear I was on the verge of transfixing them both with my sword and uniting their sleep with death. At last, however, I adopted a more rational plan; I spanked Giton into wakefulness, and, glaring at Ascyltos, “Since you have broken faith by this outrage,” I gritted out, with a savage frown, “and severed our friendship, you had better get your things together at once, and pick up some other bottom for your abominations!” ”

“ My pretended good humor soothed his anger, and at last, Ascyltos smiled as well. “See here, Encolpius,” he said, “are you so engrossed with your debaucheries that you do not realize that our money is gone, and that what we have left is of no value? In the summer, times are bad in the city. The country is luckier, let’s go and visit our friends.” Necessity compelled the approval of this plan, and the repression of any sense of injury as well, so, loading Giton with our packs, we left the city and hastened to the country-seat of Lycurgus, a Roman knight. ”

“ Cased in the armour of Scythians, they joined the troops of that beloved people, and the father god bidding them contend no longer against the power of the Roman, to whom Odin had given their country, promised to lead them to other fields, and give them other lands for their inheritance. The fierce Scythians yielded to the persuasive voice of him whom they only knew as the warrior Sigge, and, rather than submit to the slavery they abhorred, they forsook the tombs of their fathers, and sought an empire in the north. ”