glaucus- 第14部分

seems　at　first　to　break；　that　handsome　is　who　handsome　does。



Another　species　of　Madrepore　（11）　was　discovered　on　our　Devon　coast　

by　Mr。　Gosse；　more　gaudy；　though　not　so　delicate　in　hue　as　our　

Caryophyllia。　　Mr。　Gosse's　locality；　for　this　and　numberless　other　

curiosities；　is　Ilfracombe；　on　the　north　coast　of　Devon。　　My　

specimens　came　from　Lundy　Island；　in　the　mouth　of　the　Bristol　

Channel；　or　more　properly　from　that　curious　〃Rat　Island〃　to　the　

south　of　it；　where　still　lingers　the　black　long…tailed　English　rat；　

exterminated　everywhere　else　by　his　sturdier　brown　cousin　of　the　

Hanoverian　dynasty。



Look；　now；　at　these　tiny　saucers　of　the　thinnest　ivory；　the　largest　

not　bigger　than　a　silver　threepence；　which　contain　in　their　centres　

a　milk…white　crust　of　stone；　pierced；　as　you　see　under　the　

magnifier；　into　a　thousand　cells；　each　with　its　living　architect　

within。　　Here　are　two　kinds：　　in　one　the　tubular　cells　radiate　from　

the　centre；　giving　it　the　appearance　of　a　tiny　compound　flower；　

daisy　or　groundsel；　in　the　other　they　are　crossed　with　waving　

grooves；　giving　the　whole　a　peculiar　fretted　look；　even　more　

beautiful　than　that　of　the　former　species。　　They　are　Tubulipora　

patina　and　Tubulipora　hispida；　…　and　stay　…　break　off　that　tiny　

rough　red　wart；　and　look　at　its　cells　also　under　the　magnifier：　　it　

is　Cellepora　pumicosa；　and　now；　with　the　Madrepore；　you　hold　in　

your　hand　the　principal；　at　least　the　commonest；　British　types　of　

those　famed　coral　insects；　which　in　the　tropics　are　the　architects　

of　continents；　and　the　conquerors　of　the　ocean　surge。　　All　the　

world；　since　the　publication　of　Darwin's　delightful　〃Voyage　of　the　

Beagle；〃'　and　of　Williams'　〃Missionary　Enterprises；〃　knows；　or　

ought　to　know；　enough　about　them：　　for　those　who　do　not；　there　are　

a　few　pages　in　the　beginning　of　Dr。　Landsborough's　〃British　

Zoophytes；〃　well　worth　perusal。



There　are　a　few　other　true　cellepore　corals　round　the　coast。　　The　

largest　of　all；　Cervicornis；　may　be　dredged　a　few　miles　outside　on　

the　Exmouth　bank；　with　a　few　more　Tubulipores：　　but　all　tiny　

things；　the　lingering　and；　as　it　were；　expiring　remnants　of　that　

great　coral…world　which；　through　the　abysmal　depths　of　past　ages；　

formed　here　in　Britain　our　limestone　hills；　storing　up　for　

generations　yet　unborn　the　materials　of　agriculture　and　

architecture。　　Inexpressibly　interesting；　even　solemn；　to　those　who　

will　think；　is　the　sight　of　those　puny　parasites　which；　as　it　were；　

connect　the　ages　and　the　aeons：　　yet　not　so　solemn　and　full　of　

meaning　as　that　tiny　relic　of　an　older　world；　the　little　pear…

shaped　Turbinolia　（cousin　of　the　Madrepores　and　Sea…anemones）；　

found　fossil　in　the　Suffolk　Crag；　and　yet　still　lingering　here　and　

there　alive　in　the　deep　water　of　Scilly　and　the　west　coast　of　

Ireland；　possessor　of　a　pedigree　which　dates；　perhaps；　from　ages　

before　the　day　in　which　it　was　said；　〃Let　us　make　man　in　our　image；　

after　our　likeness。〃　　To　think　that　the　whole　human　race；　its　joys　

and　its　sorrows；　its　virtues　and　its　sins；　its　aspirations　and　its　

failures；　has　been　rushing　out　of　eternity　and　into　eternity　again；　

as　Arjoon　in　the　Bhagavad　Gita　beheld　the　race　of　men　issuing　from　

Kreeshna's　flaming　mouth；　and　swallowed　up　in　it　again；　〃as　the　

crowds　of　insects　swarm　into　the　flame；　as　the　homeless　streams　

leap　down　into　the　ocean　bed；〃　in　an　everlasting　heart…pulse　whose　

blood　is　living　souls　…　and　all　that　while；　and　ages　before　that　

mystery　began；　that　humble　coral；　unnoticed　on　the　dark　sea…floor；　

has　been　〃continuing　as　it　was　at　the　beginning；〃　and　fulfilling　

〃the　law　which　cannot　be　broken；〃　while　races　and　dynasties　and　

generations　have　been





〃Playing　such　fantastic　tricks　before　high　heaven；

As　make　the　angels　weep。〃





Yes；　it　is　this　vision　of　the　awful　permanence　and　perfection　of　

the　natural　world；　beside　the　wild　flux　and　confusion；　the　mad　

struggles；　the　despairing　cries　of　the　world　of　spirits　which　man　

has　defiled　by　sin；　which　would　at　moments　crush　the　naturalist's　

heart；　and　make　his　brain　swim　with　terror；　were　it　not　that　he　can　

see　by　faith；　through　all　the　abysses　and　the　ages；　not　merely





〃　Hands；

From　out　the　darkness；　shaping　man；〃





but　above　them　a　living　loving　countenance；　human　and　yet　Divine；　

and　can　hear　a　voice　which　said　at　first；　〃Let　us　make　man　in　our　

image；〃　and　hath　said　since　then；　and　says　for　ever　and　for　ever；　

〃Lo；　I　am　with　you　alway；　even　to　the　end　of　the　world。〃



But　now；　friend；　who　listenest；　perhaps　instructed；　and　at　least　

amused　…　if；　as　Professor　Harvey　well　says；　the　simpler　animals　

represent；　as　in　a　glass；　the　scattered　organs　of　the　higher　races；　

which　of　your　organs　is　represented　by　that　〃sca'd　man's　head；〃　

which　the　Devon　children　more　gracefully；　yet　with　less　adherence　

to　plain　likeness；　call　〃mermaid's　head；〃　（12）　which　we　picked　up　

just　now　on　Paignton　Sands？　　Or　which；　again；　by　its　more　beautiful　

little　congener；　（13）　five　or　six　of　which　are　adhering　tightly　to　

the　slab　before　us；　a　ball　covered　with　delicate　spines　of　lilac　

and　green；　and　stuck　over　（cunning　fellows！）　with　stripes　of　dead　

sea…weed　to　serve　as　improvised　parasols？　　One　cannot　say　that　in　

him　we　have　the　first　type　of　the　human　skull：　　for　the　

resemblance；　quaint　as　it　is；　is　only　sensuous　and　accidental；　（in　

the　logical　use　of　that　term；）　and　not　homological；　I。E。　a　lower　

manifestation　of　the　same　idea。　　Yet　how　is　one　tempted　to　say；　

that　this　was　Nature's　first　and　lowest　attempt　at　that　use　of　

hollow　globes　of　mineral　for　protecting　soft　fleshy　parts；　which　

she　afterwards　developed　to　such　perfection　in　the　skulls　of　

vertebrate　animals！　　But　even　that　conceit；　pretty　as　it　sounds；　

will　not　hold　good；　for　though　Radiates　similar　to　these　were　among　

the　earliest　tenants　of　the　abyss；　yet　as　early　as　their　time；　

perhaps　even　before　them；　had　been　conceived　and　actualized；　in　the　

sharks；　and　in　Mr。　Hugh　Miller's　pets　the　old　red　sandstone　fishes；　

that　very　true　vertebrate　skull　and　brain；　of　which　this　is　a　mere　

mockery。　（14）　　Here　the　whole　animal；　with　his　extraordinary　

feeding　mill；　（for　neither　teeth　nor　jaws　is　a　fit　word　for　it；）　is　

enclosed　within　an　ever…growing　limestone　castle；　to　the　

architecture　of　which　the　Eddystone　and　the　Crystal　Palace　are　

bungling　heaps；　without　arms　or　legs；　eyes　or　ears；　and　yet　

capable；　in　spite　of　his　perpetual　imprisonment；　of　walking；　

feeding；　and　breeding；　doubt　it　not；　merrily　enough。　　But　this　

result　has　been　attained　at　the　expense　of　a　complication　of　

structure；　which　has　baffled　all　human　analysis　and　research　into　

final　causes。　　As　much　concerning　this　most　miraculous　of　families　

as　is　needful　to　be　known；　and　ten　times　more　than　you　are　likely　

to　understand；　may　be　read　in　Harvey's　〃Sea…Side　Book；〃　pp。　142…

148；　…　pages　from　which　you　will　probably　arise　with　a　sense　of　the　

infinity　and　complexity　of　Nature；　even　in　what　we　are　pleased　to　

call　her　〃lower〃　forms；　and　the　simplest　and；　as　it　were；　easiest　

forms　of　life。　　Conceive　a　Crystal　Palace；　（for　mere　difference　in　

size；　as　both　the　naturalist　and　the　metaphysician　know；　has　

nothing　to　do　with　the　wonder；）　whereof　each　separate　joist；　

girder；　and　pane　grows　continually　without　altering　the　shape　of　

the　whole；　and　you　have　conceived　only　one　of　the　miracles　embodied　

in　that　little　sea…egg；　which　the　Creator　has；　as　it　were；　to　

justify　to　man　His　own　immutability；　furnished　with　a　shell　capable　

of　enduring　fossil　for　countless　ages；　that　we　may　confess　Him　to　

have　been　as　great　when　first　His　Spirit　brooded　on　the　deep；　as　He　

is　now　and　will　be　through　all　worlds　to　come。



But　we　must　make　haste；　for　the　tide　is　rising　fast；　and　our　stone　

will　be　restored　to　its　eleven　hours'　bath；　long　before　we　have　

talked　over　half　the　wonders　which　it　holds。　　Look　though；　ere　you　

retreat；　at　one　or　two　more。



What　is　that　little　brown　thing　whom　you　have　just　taken　off　the　

rock　to　which　it　adhered　so　stoutly　by　his　sucking…foot？　　A　limpet？　　

Not　at　all：　　he　is　of　quite　a　different　family　and　structure；　but；　

on　the　whole；　a　limpet…like　shell　would　suit　him　well　enough；　so　he　

had　one　given　him：　　nevertheless；　owing　to　certain　anatomical　

peculiarities；　he　needed　one　aperture　more　than　a　limpet；　so　one；　

if　you　will　examine；　has　been　given　him　at　the　top　of　his　shell。　

（15）　　This　is　one　instance　among　a　thousand　of　the　way　in　which　a　

scientific　knowledge　of　objects　must　not　obey；　but　run　counter　to；　

the　impressions　of　sense；　and　of　a　custom　in　nature　which　makes　

this　caution　so　necessary；　namely；　the　repetition　of　the　same　form；　

slightly　modified；　in　totally　different　animals；　sometimes　as　if　to　

avoid　waste；　（for　why　should　not　the　same　conception　be　used　in　two　

different　cases；　if　it　will　suit　in　both？）　and　sometimes　（more　

marvellous　by　far）　when　an　organ；　fully　developed　and　useful　in　one　

species；　appears　in　a　cognate　species　but　feeble；　useless；　and；　as　

it　were；　abortive；　and　gradually；　in　species　still　farther　removed；　

dies　out　altogether；　placed　there；　it　would　seem；　at　first　sight；　

merely　to　keep　up　the　family　likeness。　　I　am　half　jesting；　that　

cannot　be　the　only　reason；　perhaps　not　the　reason　at　all；　but　the　

fact　is　one　of　the　most　curious；　and　notorious　also；　in　comparative　

anatomy。



Look；　again；　at　those　sea…slugs。　　One；　some　three　inches　long；　of　a　

bright　lemon…yellow；　clouded　with　purple；　another　of　a　dingy　grey；　

（16）　another　exquisite　little　creature　of　a　pearly　French　White；　

（17）　furred　all　over　the　back　with　what　seem　arms；　but　are　really　

gills；　of　ringed　white　and　grey　and　black。　　Put　that　yellow　one　

into　water；　and　from　his　head；　above　the　eyes；　arise　two　serrated　

horns；　while　from　the　after…part　of　his　back　springs　a　circular　

Prince…of…Wales's…feather　of　g