glaucus-第15节

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catch　every　passing　animalcule；　and　sweep　them　into　the　jaws　

concealed　within　its　shell。　　And　this　creature；　rooted　to　one　spot　

through　life　and　death；　was　in　its　infancy　a　free　swimming　animal；　

hovering　from　place　to　place　upon　delicate　ciliae；　till；　having　

sown　its　wild　oats；　it　settled　down　in　life；　built　itself　a　good　

stone　house；　and　became　a　landowner；　or　rather　a　glebae　adscriptus；　

for　ever　and　a　day。　　Mysterious　destiny！　…　yet　not　so　mysterious　as　

that　of　the　free　medusoid　young　of　every　polype　and　coral；　which　

ends　as　a　rooted　tree　of　horn　or　stone；　and　seems　to　the　eye　of　

sensuous　fancy　to　have　literally　degenerated　into　a　vegetable。　　Of　

them　you　must　read　for　yourself　in　Mr。　Gosse's　book；　in　the　

meanwhile　he　shall　tell　you　something　of　the　beautiful　Madrepores　

themselves。　　His　description；　（10）　by　far　the　best　yet　published；　

should　be　read　in　full；　we　must　content　ourselves　with　extracts。



〃Doubtless　you　are　familiar　with　the　stony　skeleton　of　our　

Madrepore；　as　it　appears　in　museums。　　It　consists　of　a　number　of　

thin　calcareous　plates　standing　up　edgewise；　and　arranged　in　a　

radiating　manner　round　a　low　centre。　　A　little　below　the　margin　

their　individuality　is　lost　in　the　deposition　of　rough　calcareous　

matter。　。　。　。　The　general　form　is　more　or　less　cylindrical；　

commonly　wider　at　top　than　just　above　the　bottom。　。　。　。　This　is　but　

the　skeleton；　and　though　it　is　a　very　pretty　object；　those　who　are　

acquainted　with　it　alone；　can　form　but　a　very　poor　idea　of　the　

beauty　of　the　living　animal。　。　。　。　Let　it；　after　being　torn　from　

the　rock；　recover　its　equanimity；　then　you　will　see　a　pellucid　

gelatinous　flesh　emerging　from　between　the　plates；　and　little　

exquisitely　formed　and　coloured　tentacula；　with　white　clubbed　tips　

fringing　the　sides　of　the　cup…shaped　cavity　in　the　centre；　across　

which　stretches　the　oval　disc　marked　with　a　star　of　some　rich　and　

brilliant　colour；　surrounding　the　central　mouth；　a　slit　with　white　

crenated　lips；　like　the　orifice　of　one　of　those　elegant　cowry　

shells　which　we　put　upon　our　mantelpieces。　　The　mouth　is　always　

more　or　less　prominent；　and　can　be　protruded　and　expanded　to　an　

astonishing　extent。　　The　space　surrounding　the　lips　is　commonly　

fawn　colour；　or　rich　chestnut…brown；　the　star　or　vandyked　circle　

rich　red；　pale　vermilion；　and　sometimes　the　most　brilliant　emerald　

green；　as　brilliant　as　the　gorget　of　a　humming…bird。〃



And　what　does　this　exquisitely　delicate　creature　do　with　its　pretty　

mouth？　　Alas　for　fact！　　It　sips　no　honey…dew；　or　fruits　from　

paradise。　…　〃I　put　a　minute　spider；　as　large　as　a　pin's　head；　into　

the　water；　pushing　it　down　to　the　coral。　　The　instant　it　touched　

the　tip　of　a　tentacle；　it　adhered；　and　was　drawn　in　with　the　

surrounding　tentacles　between　the　plates。　　With　a　lens　I　saw　the　

small　mouth　slowly　open；　and　move　over　to　that　side；　the　lips　

gaping　unsymmetrically；　while　with　a　movement　as　imperceptible　as　

that　of　the　hour　hand　of　a　watch；　the　tiny　prey　was　carried　along　

between　the　plates　to　the　corner　of　the　mouth。　　The　mouth；　however；　

moved　most；　and　at　length　reached　the　edges　of　the　plates；　

gradually　closed　upon　the　insect；　and　then　returned　to　its　usual　

place　in　the　centre。〃



Mr。　Gosse　next　tried　the　fairy　of　the　walking　mouth　with　a　house…

fly；　who　escaped　only　by　hard　fighting；　and　at　last　the　gentle　

creature；　after　swallowing　and　disgorging　various　large　pieces　of　

shell…fish；　found　viands　to　its　taste　in　〃the　lean　of　cooked　meat　

and　portions　of　earthworms；〃　filling　up　the　intervals　by　a　

perpetual　dessert　of　microscopic　animalcules；　whirled　into　that　

lovely　avernus；　its　mouth；　by　the　currents　of　the　delicate　ciliae　

which　clothe　every　tentacle。　　The　fact　is；　that　the　Madrepore；　like　

those　glorious　sea…anemones　whose　living　flowers　stud　every　pool；　

is　by　profession　a　scavenger　and　a　feeder　on　carrion；　and　being　as　

useful　as　he　is　beautiful；　really　comes　under　the　rule　which　he　

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　San