The natural history of animals containing the anatomical description of several creatures dissected, by the Royal academy of sciences at Paris ... / Done into English by a fellow of the Royal society [Alexander Pitfield] ; to which is added an account of the Measure of a degree of a great circle of the earth, published by the members of the same Academy : English'd by R.W. [i.e. Richard Waller].

  • Académie des sciences (France)
Date:
1702
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of animals containing the anatomical description of several creatures dissected, by the Royal academy of sciences at Paris ... / Done into English by a fellow of the Royal society [Alexander Pitfield] ; to which is added an account of the Measure of a degree of a great circle of the earth, published by the members of the same Academy : English'd by R.W. [i.e. Richard Waller]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and comprefling the Blood did caufe a rednefs to appear in this place. The Com predion being capable of making theBodys, which their Spongious confidence has rendered Opake to become diaphanous by the diminution of the Intervals, which make them Spongious: In fine, this Circulation thus apparent, & which has continued for four Dayes, the Lungs being opned and cut in feveral places, has feem’d to us very clearly to Demonftrate that in thc Tortoife the Lungs ferve not for the Circulation of the Blood, as in the Animals which have flefhy Lungs. The true ule of the Lungs in the Tortoife and other Animals of its Genus, is a thing which has feemed to us obfcure enough to excite us to examine it carefully, and to allow us the boldnefs of promoting thoughts fomewhat extraordinary, following the liberty that we thought we might take to our {elves in thefe Memoires;where we do not place things as being compleated,but only as materials which may be employed or rejected, according as they fliall be found fitt, or ufelefs or defe&ive, when time by new Experiments or better Argumentations fhall better make known their Worth. We do believe then that there is no appearance that the Lungs of the Tor* toife ferve for the intire Circulation of the Blood, for the Reafons which have been alledged: neither is it made for the Voice, the Tortoife being abfo- lutely Mute. And it is not conducing to the refrefhment of the Internal Parts, nor for the Evacuation of their Vapours, feeing that it wants the con¬ tinual and regulated Motion which is obferved in other Animals, and which is neceffary for thefe purpofes. So that there remains only the compreffion of the Internal Parts, whole ufes have been explained in the Defcriptions that we have made of Birds; and which are reduced to the preparation and diftribution of the Nourifhment: But we do fearch after another ufe more Important, and which being more particular to the Tortoife and the other A- nimais of its Species, does better anfwer to the particular Conformation of their Lungs; and we have found that to this part may be attributed the fa¬ culty that the Tortoife has of, railing* and holding it felf above the Water, and of finking to the bottom when it pleafes, in fo much that it fupplys the place of the Air-Bladder, which is found in mod Fijhes. There are feveral conjectures on which we found the probability of this O- pinion, and which do make us to think that this Bladder of Fijbes, and the Lungs of the Tortoife being enlarged, do render the Body*of thefe Animals light enough to Swim upon the Water; and that when thefe parts are con¬ tracted, and the Air which is capable of compreffion, taking uplefsroomby reafon it is ftraitned, and fo the whole Body being lefs extended, it de¬ scends to the bottom, after the fame manner as the little hollow Figures of Enamel enclofed in a Pipe of Glafs, do fink to the bottom when by prefling on the furfaceofthe Water, the Air is compreffed which is enclofed in the Cavity that makes them Swim. We have frequently obferved that as foon as a Tortoife is put into the Wa¬ ter, it caffs forth thro’ the Mouth or Noftriis, feveral bubbles, which are in all likelyhood formed by the overmuch Air that it has in its Lungs,for the keeping it felf in a juft Equilibrium^ liich puts it in a condition of being heavy enough to fink to the bottom, at theleaft compreffion which itsMufclesdo make upon its Lungs, juft as the little Figure of Enamel defeends in the Water