Another peek into an old zoology book.

Today, it being far too wet to venture outside,  I thought that I might share with you another zoological drawing from the Victorian era.

This beautiful lithographic illustration is from Die Schwimmpolypwen, order  Siphonophoren by Albert Kolliker, Professor of anatomy and physiology in the University of Wurzburgh. It was published in 1853. 


Siphonophores are highly polymorphic and complex marine organisms.Although they may appear to be individual organisms, each specimen is in fact a colonial organism composed of medusoid and polypoid zooids that are morphologically and functionally specialised to carry out  different functions. The specimen in this this illustration is Forskalia Edwardsii.