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This Wonderful World

/ Zoophytes These strange and picturesque formations ar zoophytes. The word is derived from the Gree ZOOTI, " an animal," and phytOTl, " a plant," s that the term signifies " animal-plant.*' Thi designation was employed by the naturalist Cuvier, in his earlier attempts at classificatioi of numerous simple animals with a superficia resemblance to plant growths.

in general are invertebrate animals, whose appearance and mode of growth closel/ resemble that of a plant, sea-anemones, corals and sponges being among the best-known examples of this curious form of life. Zoophytes always live in colonies, and the variety shown in the illustration, highly magnified, is a type whose method of living is to line the mouths of shells occupied by hermit crabs. A -

They provide another illustration of the interesting fact revealed by a close study of natural history, aided by the microscope, that, no matter how low the *■' form of life, there always seems to be some still smaller and lower form of life preying or living upon it I

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19360222.2.196.30.5

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22350, 22 February 1936, Page 30 (Supplement)

Word Count
169

This Wonderful World New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22350, 22 February 1936, Page 30 (Supplement)

This Wonderful World New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22350, 22 February 1936, Page 30 (Supplement)