autobiography and selected essays-第32章

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coral；　saw　that　its　branches　were　beset　with　what　looked　like

delicate　and　beautiful　flowers　each　having　eight　petals。　　It　was

true　that　these　〃flowers〃　could　protrude　and　retract　themselves；

but　their　motions　were　hardly　more　extensive；　or　more　varied；　than

those　of　the　leaves　of　the　sensitive　plant；　and　therefore　they

could　not　be　held　to　militate　against　the　conclusion　so　strongly

suggested　by　their　form　and　their　grouping　upon　the　branches　of　a

tree…like　structure。



Twenty　years　later；　a　pupil　of　Marsigli；　the　young　Marseilles

physician；　Peyssonel；　conceived　the　desire　to　study　these　singular

sea…plants；　and　was　sent　by　the　French　Government　on　a　mission　to

the　Mediterranean　for　that　purpose。　　The　pupil　undertook　the

investigation　full　of　confidence　in　the　ideas　of　his　master；　but

being　able　to　see　and　think　for　himself；　he　soon　discovered　that

those　ideas　by　no　means　altogether　corresponded　with　reality。　　In

an　essay　entitled　〃Traite　du　Corail；〃　　which　was　communicated　to

the　French　Academy　of　Science；　but　which　has　never　been　published；

Peyssonel　writes：



〃Je　fis　fleurir　le　corail　dans　des　vases　pleins　d'eau　de　mer；　et

j'observai　que　ce　que　nous　croyons　etre　la　fleur　de　cette　pretendue

plante　n'etait　au　vrai；　qu'un　insecte　semblable　a　une　petite　Ortie

ou　Poulpe。　　J'avais　le　plaisir　de　voir　remuer　les　pattes；　ou　pieds；

de　cette　Ortie；　et　ayant　mis　le　vase　plein　d'eau　ou　le　corail　etait

a　une　douce　chaleur　aupres　du　feu；　tous　les　petits　insectes

s'epanouirent。L'Ortie　sortie　etend　les　pieds；　et　forme　ce　que　M。

de　Marsigli　et　moi　avions　pris　pour　les　petales　de　la　fleur。　　Le

calice　de　cette　pretendue　fleur　est　le　corps　meme　de　l'animal

avance　et　sorti　hors　de　la　cellule。〃*＇114＇





*　This　extract　from　Peyssonel's　manuscript　is　given　by　M。　Lacaze

Duthiers　in　his　valuable　Histoire　Naturelle　du　Corail　（1866）。





The　comparison　of　the　flowers　of　the　coral　to　a　〃petite　ortie；〃　or

〃little　nettle；〃　is　perfectly　just；　but　needs　explanation。　　〃Ortie

de　mer；〃　or　〃sea…nettle；〃　is；　in　fact；　the　French　appellation　for

our　〃sea…anemone；〃　a　creature　with　which　everybody；　since　the　great

aquarium　mania；　must　have　become　familiar；　even　to　the　limits　of

boredom。　　In　1710；　the　great　naturalist；　Reaumur；＇115＇　had　written　a

memoir　for　the　express　purpose　of　demonstrating　that　these　〃orties〃

are　animals；　and　with　this　important　paper　Peyssonel　must

necessarily　have　been　familiar。　　Therefore；　when　he　declared　the

〃flowers〃　of　the　red　coral　to　be　little　〃orties；〃　it　was　the　same

thing　as　saying　that　they　were　animals　of　the　same　general　nature

as　sea…anemones。　　But　to　Peyssonel's　contemporaries　this　was　an

extremely　startling　announcement。　　It　was　hard　to　imagine　the

existence　of　such　a　thing　as　an　association　of　animals　into　a

structure　with　stem　and　branches　altogether　like　a　plant；　and　fixed

to　the　soil　as　a　plant　is　fixed；　and　the　naturalists　of　that　day

preferred　not　to　imagine　it。　　Even　Reaumur　could　not　bring　himself

to　accept　the　notion；　and　France　being　blessed　with　Academicians；

whose　great　function　（as　the　late　Bishop　Wilson　＇116＇　and　an　eminent

modern　writer　＇117＇　have　so　well　shown）　is　to　cause　sweetness　and

light　to　prevail；　and　to　prevent　such　unmannerly　fellows　as　Peyssonel

from　blurting　out　unedifying　truths；　they　suppressed　him；　and；　as

aforesaid；　his　great　work　remained　in　manuscript；　and　may　at　this

day　be　consulted　by　the　curious　in　that　state；　in　the　Bibliotheque

du　Museum　d'Histoire　Naturelle。　　Peyssonel；　who　evidently　was　a

person　of　savage　and　untameable　disposition；　so　far　from

appreciating　the　kindness　of　the　Academicians　in　giving　him　time　to

reflect　upon　the　unreasonableness；　not　to　say　rudeness；　of　making

public　statements　in　opposition　to　the　views　of　some　of　the　most

distinguished　of　their　body；　seems　bitterly　to　have　resented　the

treatment　he　met　with。　　For　he　sent　all　further　communications　to

the　Royal　Society　of　London；　which　never　had；　and　it　is　to　be　hoped

never　will　have；　anything　of　an　academic　constitution；　and　finally

he　took　himself　off　to　Guadaloupe；　and　became　lost　to　science

altogether。



Fifteen　or　sixteen　years　after　the　date　of　Peyssonel's　suppressed

paper；　the　Abbe　Trembley　＇118＇　published　his　wonderful　researches　upon

the　fresh…water　Hydra。　　Bernard　de　Jussieu　＇119＇　and　Guettard　＇120＇

followed　them　up　by　like　inquiries　upon　the　marine　sea…anemones　and

corallines；　Reaumur；　convinced　against　his　will　of　the　entire　justice

of　Peyssonel's　views；　adopted　them；　and　made　him　a　half…and…half

apology　in　the　preface　to　the　next　published　volume　of　the

〃Memoires　pour　servir　l'Histoire　des　Insectes；〃　and；　from　this　time

forth；　Peyssonel's　doctrine　that　corals　are　the　work　of　animal

organisms　has　been　part　of　the　body　of　established　scientific

truth。



Peyssonel；　in　the　extract　from　his　memoir　already　cited；　compares

the　flower…like　animal　of　the　coral　to　a　〃poulpe；〃　which　is　the

French　form　of　the　name　〃polypus；〃〃the　many…footed；〃which　the

ancient　naturalists　gave　to　the　soft…bodied　cuttlefishes；　which；

like　the　coral　animal；　have　eight　arms；　or　tentacles；　disposed

around　a　central　mouth。　　Reaumur；　admitting　the　analogy　indicated

by　Peyssonel；　gave　the　name　of　polypes；　not　only　to　the　sea…

anemone；　the　coral　animal；　and　the　fresh…water　Hydra；　but　to　what

are　now　known　as　the　Polyzoa；　and　he　termed　the　skeleton　which　they

fabricate　a　〃polypier；〃　or　〃polypidom。〃



The　progress　of　discovery；　since　Reaumur's　time；　has　made　us　very

completely　acquainted　with　the　structure　and　habits　of　all　these

polypes。　　We　know　that；　among　the　sea…anemones　and　coral…forming

animals；　each　poylpe　has　a　mouth　leading　to　a　stomach；　which　is

open　at　its　inner　end；　and　thus　communicates　freely　with　the

general　cavity　of　the　body；　that　the　tentacles　placed　round　the

mouth　are　hollow；　and　that　they　perform　the　part　of　arms　in　seizing

and　capturing　prey。　　It　is　known　that　many　of　these　creatures　are

capable　of　being　multiplied　by　artificial　division；　the　divided

halves　growing；　after　a　time；　into　complete　and　separate　animals；

and　that　many　are　able　to　perform　a　very　similar　process　naturally；

in　such　a　manner　that　one　polype　may；　by　repeated　incomplete

divisions；　give　rise　to　a　sort　of　sheet；　or　turf；　formed　by

innumerable　connected；　and　yet　independent；　descendants。　　Or；　what

is　still　more　common；　a　polype　may　throw　out　buds；　which　are

converted　into　polypes；　or　branches　bearing　polypes；　until　a　tree…

like　mass；　sometimes　of　very　considerable　size；　is　formed。



This　is　what　happens　in　the　case　of　the　red　coral　of　commerce。　　A

minute　polype；　fixed　to　the　rocky　bottom　of　the　deep　sea；　grows　up

into　a　branched　trunk。　　The　end　of　every　branch　and　twig　is

terminated　by　a　polype；　and　all　the　polypes　are　connected　together

by　a　fleshy　substance；　traversed　by　innumerable　canals　which　place

each　polype　in　communication　with　every　other；　and　carry

nourishment　to　the　substance　of　the　supporting　stem。　　It　is　a　sort

of　natural　cooperative　store；　every　polype　helping　the　whole；　at

the　same　time　as　it　helps　itself。　　The　interior　of　the　stem；　like

that　of　the　branches；　is　solidified　by　the　deposition　of　carbonate

of　lime　in　its　tissue；　somewhat　in　the　same　fashion　as　our　own

bones　are　formed　of　animal　matter　impregnated　with　lime　salts；　and

it　is　this　dense　skeleton　（usually　turned　red　by　a　peculiar

colouring　matter）　cleared　of　the　soft　animal　investment；　as　the

hard　wood　of　a　tree　might　be　stripped　of　its　bark；　which　is　the　red

coral。



In　the　case　of　the　red　coral；　the　hard　skeleton　belongs　to　the

interior　of　the　stem　and　branches　only；　but　in　the　commoner　white

corals；　each　polype　has　a　complete　skeleton　of　its　own。　　These

polypes　are　sometimes　solitary；　in　which　case　the　whole　skeleton　is

represented　by　a　single　cup；　with　partitions　radiating　from　its

centre　to　its　circumference。　　When　the　polypes　formed　by　budding　or

division　remain　associated；　the　polypidom　is