glaucus-第6章

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some　Musselburgh　dredger's　boat　the　phosphorescent　sea…pen　（unknown　

in　England）；　a　living　feather；　of　the　look　and　consistency　of　a　

cock's　comb；　or　the　still　stranger　sea…rush　（VIRGULARIA　MIRABILIS）；　

a　spine　a　foot　long；　with　hundreds　of　rosy　flowerets　arranged　in　

half…rings　round　it　from　end　to　end；　and　you　are　told　that　these　

are　the　congeners　of　the　great　stony　Venus's　fan　which　hangs　in　

seamen's　cottages；　brought　home　from　the　West　Indies。　　And　ere　you　

have　done　wondering；　you　hear　that　all　three　are　congeners　of　the　

ugly；　shapeless；　white　〃dead　man's　hand；〃　which　you　may　pick　up　

after　a　storm　on　any　shore。　　You　have　a　beautiful　madrepore　or　

brain…stone　on　your　mantel…piece；　brought　home　from　some　Pacific　

coral…reef。　　You　are　to　believe　that　its　first　cousins　are　the　

soft；　slimy　sea…anemones　which　you　see　expanding　their　living　

flowers　in　every　rock…pool　…　bags　of　sea…water；　without　a　trace　of　

bone　or　stone。　　You　must　believe　it；　for　in　science；　as　in　higher　

matters；　he　who　will　walk　surely；　must　〃walk　by　faith　and　not　by　

sight。〃



These　are　but　a　few　of　the　wonders　which　the　classification　of　

marine　animals　affords；　and　only　drawn　from　one　class　of　them；　

though　almost　as　common　among　every　other　family　of　that　submarine　

world　whereof　Spenser　sang　…





〃Oh；　what　an　endless　work　have　I　in　hand；

To　count　the　sea's　abundant　progeny！

Whose　fruitful　seed　far　passeth　those　in　land；

And　also　those　which　won　in　th'　azure　sky；

For　much　more　earth　to　tell　the　stars　on　high；

Albe　they　endless　seem　in　estimation；

Than　to　recount　the　sea's　posterity；

So　fertile　be　the　flouds　in　generation；

So　huge　their　numbers；　and　so　numberless　their　nation。〃





But　these　few　examples　will　be　sufficient　to　account　both　for　the　

slow　pace　at　which　the　knowledge　of　sea…animals　has　progressed；　and　

for　the　allurement　which　men　of　the　highest　attainments　have　found；　

and　still　find；　in　it。　　And　when　to　this　we　add　the　marvels　which　

meet　us　at　every　step　in　the　anatomy　and　the　reproduction　of　these　

creatures；　and　in　the　chemical　and　mechanical　functions　which　they　

fulfil　in　the　great　economy　of　our　planet；　we　cannot　wonder　at　

finding　that　books　which　treat　of　them　carry　with　them　a　certain　

charm　of　romance；　and　feed　the　play　of　fancy；　and　that　love　of　the　

marvellous　which　is　inherent　in　man；　at　the　same　time　that　they　

lead　the　reader　to　more　solemn　and　lofty　trains　of　thought；　which　

can　find　their　full　satisfaction　only　in　self…forgetful　worship；　

and　that　hymn　of　praise　which　goes　up　ever　from　land　and　sea；　as　

well　as　from　saints　and　martyrs　and　the　heavenly　host；　〃O　all　ye　

works　of　the　Lord；　and　ye；　too；　spirits　and　souls　of　the　righteous；　

praise　Him；　and　magnify　Him　for　ever！〃



I　have　said；　that　there　were　excuses　for　the　old　contempt　of　the　

study　of　Natural　History。　　I　have　said；　too；　it　may　be　hoped；　

enough　to　show　that　contempt　to　be　now　ill…founded。　　But　still；　

there　are　those　who　regard　it　as　a　mere　amusement；　and　that　as　a　

somewhat　effeminate　one；　and　think　that　it　can　at　best　help　to　

while　away　a　leisure　hour　harmlessly；　and　perhaps　usefully；　as　a　

substitute　for　coarser　sports；　or　for　the　reading　of　novels。　　

Those；　however；　who　have　followed　it　out；　especially　on　the　sea…

shore；　know　better。　　They　can　tell　from　experience；　that　over　and　

above　its　accessory　charms　of　pure　sea…breezes；　and　wild　rambles　by　

cliff　and　loch；　the　study　itself　has　had　a　weighty　moral　effect　

upon　their　hearts　and　spirits。　　There　are　those　who　can　well　

understand　how　the　good　and　wise　John　Ellis；　amid　all　his　

philanthropic　labours　for　the　good　of　the　West　Indies；　while　he　was　

spending　his　intellect　and　fortune　in　introducing　into　our　tropic　

settlements　the　bread…fruit；　the　mangosteen；　and　every　plant　and　

seed　which　he　hoped　might　be　useful　for　medicine；　agriculture；　and　

commerce；　could　yet　feel　himself　justified　in　devoting　large　

portions　of　his　ever　well…spent　time　to　the　fighting　the　battle　of　

the　corallines　against　Parsons　and　the　rest；　and　even　in　measuring　

pens　with　Linne；　the　prince　of　naturalists。



There　are　those　who　can　sympathise　with　the　gallant　old　Scotch　

officer　mentioned　by　some　writer　on　sea…weeds；　who；　desperately　

wounded　in　the　breach　at　Badajos；　and　a　sharer　in　all　the　toils　and　

triumphs　of　the　Peninsular　war；　could　in　his　old　age　show　a　rare　

sea…weed　with　as　much　triumph　as　his　well…earned　medals；　and　talk　

over　a　tiny　spore…capsule　with　as　much　zest　as　the　records　of　

sieges　and　battles。　　Why　not？　　That　temper　which　made　him　a　good　

soldier　may　very　well　have　made　him　a　good　naturalist　also。　　The　

late　illustrious　geologist；　Sir　Roderick　Murchison；　was　also　an　old　

Peninsular　officer。　　I　doubt　not　that　with　him；　too；　the　

experiences　of　war　may　have　helped　to　fit　him　for　the　studies　of　

peace。　　Certainly；　the　best　naturalist；　as　far　as　logical　acumen；　

as　well　as　earnest　research；　is　concerned；　whom　England　has　ever　

seen；　was　the　Devonshire　squire；　Colonel　George　Montagu；　of　whom　

the　late　E。　Forbes　well　says；　that　〃had　he　been　educated　a　

physiologist〃　（and　not；　as　he　was；　a　soldier　and　a　sportsman）；　〃and　

made　the　study　of　Nature　his　aim　and　not　his　amusement；　his　would　

have　been　one　of　the　greatest　names　in　the　whole　range　of　British　

science。〃　　I　question；　nevertheless；　whether　he　would　not　have　lost　

more　than　he　would　have　gained　by　a　different　training。　　It　might　

have　made　him　a　more　learned　systematizer；　but　would　it　have　

quickened　in　him　that　〃seeing〃　eye　of　the　true　soldier　and　

sportsman；　which　makes　Montagu's　descriptions　indelible　word…

pictures；　instinct　with　life　and　truth？　　〃There　is　no　question；〃　

says　E。　Forbes；　after　bewailing　the　vagueness　of　most　naturalists；　

〃about　the　identity　of　any　animal　Montagu　described。　。　。　。　He　was　a　

forward…looking　philosopher；　he　spoke　of　every　creature　as　if　one　

exceeding　like　it；　yet　different　from　it；　would　be　washed　up　by　the　

waves　next　tide。　　Consequently　his　descriptions　are　permanent。〃　　

Scientific　men　will　recognize　in　this　the　highest　praise　which　can　

be　bestowed；　because　it　attributes　to　him　the　highest　faculty　…　The　

Art　of　Seeing；　but　the　study　and　the　book　would　not　have　given　

that。　　It　is　God's　gift　wheresoever　educated：　　but　its　true　school…

room　is　the　camp　and　the　ocean；　the　prairie　and　the　forest；　active；　

self…helping　life；　which　can　grapple　with　Nature　herself：　　not　

merely　with　printed…books　about　her。　　Let　no　one　think　that　this　

same　Natural　History　is　a　pursuit　fitted　only　for　effeminate　or　

pedantic　men。　　I　should　say；　rather；　that　the　qualifications　

required　for　a　perfect　naturalist　are　as　many　and　as　lofty　as　were　

required；　by　old　chivalrous　writers；　for　the　perfect　knight…errant　

of　the　Middle　Ages：　　for　（to　sketch　an　ideal；　of　which　I　am　happy　

to　say　our　race　now　affords　many　a　fair　realization）　our　perfect　

naturalist　should　be　strong　in　body；　able　to　haul　a　dredge；　climb　a　

rock；　turn　a　boulder；　walk　all　day；　uncertain　where　he　shall　eat　or　

rest；　ready　to　face　sun　and　rain；　wind　and　frost；　and　to　eat　or　

drink　thankfully　anything；　however　coarse　or　meagre；　he　should　know　

how　to　swim　for　his　life；　to　pull　an　oar；　sail　a　boat；　and　ride　the　

first　horse　which　comes　to　hand；　and；　finally；　he　should　be　a　

thoroughly　good　shot；　and　a　skilful　fisherman；　and；　if　he　go　far　

abroad；　be　able　on　occasion　to　fight　for　his　life。



For　his　moral　character；　he　must；　like　a　knight　of　old；　be　first　of　

all　gentle　and　courteous；　ready　and　able　to　ingratiate　himself　with　

the　poor；　the　ignorant；　and　the　savage；　not　only　because　foreign　

travel　will　be　often　otherwise　impossible；　but　because　he　knows　how　

much　invaluable　local　information　can　be　only　obtained　from　

fishermen；　miners；　hunters；　and　tillers　of　the　soil。　　Next；　he　

should　be　brave　and　enterprising；　and　withal　patient　and　undaunted；　

not　merely　in　travel；　but　in　investigation；　knowing　（a