glaucus-第31章

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（as　Botany　is　for　girls）　who　have　no　opportunity　for　visiting　the　

sea…shore；　Catlow's　〃Popular　British　Entomology；〃　having　coloured　

plates　（a　delight　to　young　people）；　and　saying　something　of　all　the　

orders；　is；　probably；　still　a　good　work　for　beginners。



Mr。　Stainton's　〃Entomologist's　Annual　for　1855〃　contains　valuable　

hints　of　that　gentleman's　on　taking　and　arranging　moths　and　

butterflies；　as　well　as　of　Mr。　Wollaston's　on　performing　the　same　

kind　office　for　that　far　more　numerous；　and　not　less　beautiful　

class；　the　beetles。　　There　is　also　an　admirable　〃Manual　of　British　

Butterflies　and　Moths；〃　by　Mr。　Stainton；　in　course　of　publication；　

but；　perhaps；　the　most　interesting　of　all　entomological　books　which　

I　have　seen　（and　for　introducing　me　to　which　I　must　express　my　

hearty　thanks　to　Mr。　Stainton）；　is　〃Practical　Hints　respecting　

Moths　and　Butterflies；　forming　a　Calendar　of　Entomological　

Operations；〃　（36）　by　Richard　Shield；　a　simple　London　working…man。



I　would　gladly　devote　more　space　than　I　can　here　spare　to　a　review　

of　this　little　book；　so　perfectly　does　it　corroborate　every　word　

which　I　have　said　already　as　to　the　moral　and　intellectual　value　of　

such　studies。　　Richard　Shield；　making　himself　a　first…rate　

〃lepidopterist；〃　while　working　with　his　hands　for　a　pound　a　week；　

is　the　antitype　of　Mr。　Peach；　the　coast…guardsman；　among　his　

Cornish　tide…rocks。　　But　more　than　this；　there　is　about　Shield's　

book　a　tone　as　of　Izaak　Walton　himself；　which　is　very　delightful；　

tender；　poetical；　and　religious；　yet　full　of　quiet　quaintness　and　

humour；　showing　in　every　page　how　the　love　for　Natural　History　is　

in　him　only　one　expression　of　a　love　for　all　things　beautiful；　and　

pure；　and　right。　　If　any　readers　of　these　pages　fancy　that　I　over…

praise　the　book；　let　them　buy　it；　and　judge　for　themselves。　　They　

will　thus　help　the　good　man　toward　pursuing　his　studies　with　larger　

and　better　appliances；　and　will　be　（as　I　expect）　surprised　to　find　

how　much　there　is　to　be　seen　and　done；　even　by　a　working…man；　

within　a　day's　walk　of　smoky　Babylon　itself；　and　how　easily　a　man　

might；　if　he　would；　wash　his　soul　clean　for　a　while　from　all　the　

turmoil　and　intrigue；　the　vanity　and　vexation　of　spirit　of　that　

〃too…populous　wilderness；〃　by　going　out　to　be　alone　a　while　with　

God　in　heaven；　and　with　that　earth　which　He　has　given　to　the　

children　of　men；　not　merely　for　the　material　wants　of　their　bodies；　

but　as　a　witness　and　a　sacrament　that　in　Him　they　live　and　move；　

and　have　their　being；　〃not　by　bread　alone；　but　by　EVERY　word　that　

proceedeth　out　of　the　mouth　of　God。〃





Thus　I　wrote　some　twenty　years　ago；　when　the　study　of　Natural　

History　was　confined　mainly　to　several　scientific　men；　or　mere　

collectors　of　shells；　insects；　and　dried　plants。



Since　then；　I　am　glad　to　say；　it　has　become　a　popular　and　common　

pursuit；　owing；　I　doubt　not；　to　the　impulse　given　to　it　by　the　many　

authors　whose　works　I　then　recommended。　　I　recommend　them　still；　

though　a　swarm　of　other　manuals　and　popular　works　have　appeared　

since；　excellent　in　their　way；　and　almost　beyond　counting。　　But　all　

honour　to　those；　and　above　all　to　Mr。　Gosse　and　Mr。　Johns；　who　

first　opened　people's　eyes　to　the　wonders　around　them　all　day　long。　　

Now；　we　have；　in　addition　to　amusing　books　on　special　subjects；　

serials　on　Natural　History　more　or　less　profound；　and　suited　to　

every　kind　of　student　and　every　grade　of　knowledge。　　I　mention　the　

names　of　none。　　For　first；　they　happily　need　no　advertisement　from　

me；　and　next；　I　fear　to　be　unjust　to　any　one　of　them　by　

inadvertently　omitting　its　name。　　Let　me　add；　that　in　the　

advertising　columns　of　those　serials；　will　be　found　notices　of　all　

the　new　manuals；　and　of　all　apparatus；　and　other　matters；　needed　by　

amateur　naturalists；　and　of　many　who　are　more　than　amateurs。　　

Microscopy；　meanwhile；　and　the　whole　study　of　〃The　Wonders　of　the　

Little；〃　have　made　vast　strides　in　the　last　twenty　years；　and　I　was　

equally　surprised　and　pleased；　to　find；　three　years　ago；　in　each　of　

two　towns　of　a　few　thousand　inhabitants；　perhaps　a　dozen　good　

microscopes；　all　but　hidden　away　from　the　public；　worked　by　men　who　

knew　how　to　handle　them；　and　who　knew　what　they　were　looking　at；　

but　who　modestly　refrained　from　telling　anybody　what　they　were　

doing　so　well。　　And　it　was　this　very　discovery　of　unsuspected　

microscopists　which　made　me　more　desirous　than　ever　to　see　…　as　I　

see　now　in　many　places　…　scientific　societies；　by　means　of　which　

the　few；　who　otherwise　would　work　apart；　may　communicate　their　

knowledge　to　each　other；　and　to　the　many。　　These　〃Microscopic；〃　

〃Naturalist；〃　〃Geological；〃　or　other　societies；　and　the　〃Field　

Clubs〃　for　excursions　into　the　country；　which　are　usually　connected　

with　them；　form　a　most　pleasant　and　hopeful　new　feature　in　English　

Society；　bringing　together；　as　they　do；　almost　all　ranks；　all　

shades　of　opinion；　and　it　has　given　me　deep　pleasure　to　see；　in　the　

case　at　least　of　the　Country　Clubs　with　which　I　am　acquainted；　the　

clergy　of　the　Church　of　England　taking　an　active；　and　often　a　

leading；　interest　in　their　practical　work。　　The　town　clergy　are；　

for　the　most　part；　too　utterly　overworked　to　follow　the　example　of　

their　country　brethren。　　But　I　have　reason　to　know　that　they　regard　

such　societies；　and　Natural　History　in　general；　with　no　unfriendly　

eyes；　and　that　there　is　less　fear　than　ever　that　the　clergy　of　the　

Church　of　England　should　have　to　relinquish　their　ancient　boast　…　

that　since　the　formation　of　the　Royal　Society　in　the　seventeenth　

century；　they　have　done　more　for　sound　physical　science　than　any　

other　priesthood　or　ministry　in　the　world。　　Let　me　advise　anyone　

who　may　do　me　the　honour　of　reading　these　pages；　to　discover　

whether　such　a　Club　or　Society　exists　in　his　neighbourhood；　and　to　

join　it　forthwith；　certain　that　…　if　his　experience　be　at　all　like　

mine　…　he　will　gain　most　pleasant　information　and　most　pleasant　

acquaintances；　and　pass　most　pleasant　days　and　evenings；　among　

people　whom　he　will　be　glad　to　know；　and　whom　he　never　would　have　

known　save　for　the　new　…　and　now；　I　hope；　rapidly　spreading　…　

freemasonry　of　Natural　History。



Meanwhile；　I　hope　…　though　I　dare　not　say　I　trust　…　to　see　the　day　

when　the　boys　of　each　of　our　large　schools　shall　join　…　like　those　

of　Marlborough　and　Clifton　…　the　same　freemasonry；　and　have　their　

own　Naturalists'　Clubs；　nay　more；　when　our　public　schools　and　

universities　shall　awake　to　the　real　needs　of　the　age；　and　…　even　

to　the　curtailing　of　the　time　usually　spent　in　not　learning　Latin　

and　Greek　…　teach　boys　the　rudiments　at　least　of　botany；　zoology；　

geology；　and　so　forth；　and　when　the　public　opinion；　at　least　of　the　

refined　and　educated；　shall　consider　it　as　ludicrous　…　to　use　no　

stronger　word　…　to　be　ignorant　of　the　commonest　facts　and　laws　of　

this　living　planet；　as　to　be　ignorant　of　the　rudiments　of　two　dead　

languages。　　All　honour　to　the　said　two　languages。　　Ignorance　of　

them　is　a　serious　weakness；　for　it　implies　ignorance　of　many　things　

else；　and　indeed；　without　some　knowledge　of　them；　the　nomenclature　

of　the　physical　sciences　cannot　be　mastered。　　But　I　have　got　to　

discover　that　a　boy's　time　is　more　usefully　spent；　and　his　

intellect　more　methodically　trained；　by　getting　up　Ovid's　Fasti　

with　an　ulterior　hope　of　being　able　to　write　a　few　Latin　verses；　

than　in　getting　up　Professor　Rolleston's　〃Forms　of　Animal　Life；〃　or　

any　other　of　the　excellent　Scientific　Manuals　for　beginners；　which　

are　now；　as　I　said；　happily　so　numerous。



May　that　day　soon　come；　and　an　old　dream　of　mine；　and　of　my　

scientific　friends；　be　fulfilled　at　last。



And　so　I　end　this　little　book；　hoping；　even　praying；　that　it　may　

encourage　a　few　more　labourers　to　go　forth　into　a　vineyard；　which　

those　who　have　toiled　in　it　know　to　be　full　of　ever…fresh　health；　

and　wonder　and　simple　joy；　and　the　presen