glaucus-第21节

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risk；　of　course；　of　being　blown　over　to　the　coast　of　France；　by　a　

change　of　wind；　there　is　a　risk　also　of　not　being　able　to　land　at　

night　on　the　inhospitable　Hastings　beach；　and　of　sleeping；　as　best　

you　can；　on　board：　　but　in　the　long　days　and　settled　fine　weather　

of　summer；　the　trip；　in　a　stout　boat；　ought　to　be　a　safe　and　a　

pleasant　one。



On　the　Diamond　you　will　find　many；　or　most　of　those　gay　creatures　

which　attract　your　eye　in　the　central　row　of　tanks　at　the　

Zoological　Gardens：　　great　twisted　masses　of　Serpulae；　（26）　those　

white　tubes　of　stone；　from　the　mouth　of　which　protrude　pairs　of　

rose…coloured　or　orange　fans；　flashing　in；　quick　as　light；　the　

moment　that　your　finger　approaches　them　or　your　shadow　crosses　the　

water。



You　will　dredge；　too；　the　twelve…rayed　sun…star　（Solaster　papposa）；　

with　his　rich　scarlet　armour；　and　more　strange；　and　quite　as　

beautiful；　the　bird's　foot　star　（Palmipes　membranaceus）；　which　you　

may　see　crawling　by　its　thousand　sucking…feet　in　the　Crystal　Palace　

tanks；　a　pentagonal　webbed　bird's　foot；　of　scarlet　and　orange　

shagreen。　　With　him；　most　probably；　will　be　a　specimen　of　the　great　

purple　heart…urchin　（Spatangus　purpureus）；　clothed　in　pale　lilac　

horny　spines；　and　other　Echinoderms；　for　which　you　must　consult　

Forbes's　〃British　Star…fishes：〃　but　perhaps　the　species　among　them　

which　will　interest　you　most；　will　be　the　common　brittle…star　

（Ophiocoma　rosula）；　of　which　a　hundred　or　so；　I　can　promise；　shall　

come　up　at　a　single　haul　of　the　dredge；　entwining　their　long　spine…

clad　arms　in　a　seemingly　inextricable　confusion　of　〃kaleidoscope〃　

patterns　（thanks　to　Mr。　Gosse　for　the　one　right　epithet）；　purple　

and　azure；　fawn；　brown；　green；　grey；　white　and　crimson；　as　if　a　

whole　bed　of　China…asters　should　have　first　come　to　life；　and　then　

gone　mad；　and　fallen　to　fighting。　　But　pick　out；　one　by　one；　

specimens　from　the　tangled　mass；　and　you　will　agree　that　no　China…

aster　is　so　fair　as　this　living　stone…flower　of　the　deep；　with　its　

daisy…like　disc；　and　fine　long　prickly　arms；　which　never　cease　

their　graceful　serpentine　motion；　and　its　colours　hardly　alike　in　

any　two　specimens。　　Handle　them　not；　meanwhile；　too　roughly；　lest；　

whether　modesty　or　in　anger；　they　begin　a　desperate　course　of　

gradual　suicide；　and；　breaking　off　arm　after　arm　piecemeal；　fling　

them　indignantly　at　their　tormentor。　　Along　with　these　you　will　

certainly　obtain　a　few　of　that　fine　bivalve；　the　great　Scallop；　

which　you　have　seen　lying　on　every　fishmonger's　counter　in　

Hastings。　　Of　these　you　must　pick　out　those　which　seem　dirtiest　and　

most　overgrown　with　parasites；　and　place　them　carefully　in　a　jar　of　

salt　water；　where　they　may　not　be　rubbed；　for　they　are　worth　your　

examination；　not　merely　for　the　sake　of　that　ring　of　gem…like　eyes　

which　borders　their　〃cloak；〃　lying　along　the　extreme　out　edge　of　

the　shell　as　the　valves　are　half　open；　but　for　the　sake　of　the　

parasites　outside：　　corallines　of　exquisite　delicacy；　Plumulariae　

and　Sertulariae；　dead　men's　hands　（Alcyonia）；　lumps　of　white　or　

orange　jelly；　which　will　protrude　a　thousand　star…like　polypes；　and　

the　Tubularia　indivisa；　twisted　tubes　of　fine　straw；　which　ought　

already　to　have　puzzled　you；　for　you　may　pick　them　up　in　

considerable　masses　on　the　Hastings　beach　after　a　south…west　gale；　

and　think　long　over　them　before　you　determine　whether　the　oat…like　

stems　and　spongy　roots　belong　to　an　animal；　or　a　vegetable。　　

Animals　they　are；　nevertheless；　though　even　now　you　will　hardly　

guess　the　fact；　when　you　see　at　the　mouth　of　each　tube　a　little　

scarlet　flower；　connected　with　the　pink　pulp　which　fills　the　tube。　　

For　a　further　description　of　this　largest　and　handsomest　of　our　

Hydroid　Polypes；　I　must　refer　you　to　Johnston；　or；　failing　him；　to　

Landsborough；　and　go　on；　to　beg　you　not　to　despise　those　pink；　or　

grey；　or　white　lumps　of　jelly；　which　will　expand　in　salt　water　into　

exquisite　sea…anemones；　of　quite　different　forms　from　any　which　we　

have　found　along　the　rocks。　　One　of　them　will　certainly　be　the　

Dianthus；　（27）　which　will　open　into　a　furbelowed　flower；　furred　

with　innumerable　delicate　tentacula；　and　in　the　centre　a　mouth　of　

the　most　delicate　orange；　the　size　of　the　whole　animal　being　

perhaps　eight　inches　high　and　five　across。　　Perhaps　it　will　be　of　a　

satiny　grey；　perhaps　pale　rose；　perhaps　pure　white；　whatever　its　

colour；　it　is　the　very　maiden　queen　of　all　the　beautiful　tribe；　and　

one　of　the　loveliest　gems　with　which　it　has　pleased　God　to　bedeck　

this　lower　world。



These　and　much　more　you　will　find　on　the　scallops；　or　even　more　

plentifully　on　any　lump　of　ancient　oysters；　and　if　you　do　not　

dredge；　it　would　be　well　worth　your　while　to　make　interest　with　the　

fish…monger　for　a　few　oyster　lumps；　put　into　water　the　moment　they　

are　taken　out　of　the　trawl。　　Divide　them　carefully；　clear　out　the　

oysters　with　a　knife；　and　put　the　shells　into　your　aquarium；　and　

you　will　find　that　an　oyster　at　home　is　a　very　different　thing　from　

an　oyster　on　a　stall。



You　ought；　besides；　to　dredge　many　handsome　species　of　shells；　

which　you　would　never　pick　up　along　the　beach；　and　if　you　are　

conchologizing　in　earnest；　you　must　not　forget　to　bring　home　a　tin　

box　of　shell　sand；　to　be　washed　and　picked　over　in　a　dish　at　your　

leisure；　or　forget　either　to　wash　through　a　fine　sieve；　over　the　

boat's　side；　any　sludge　and　ooze　which　the　dredge　brings　up。　　Many　

…　I　may　say；　hundreds　…　rare　and　new　shells　are　found　in　this　way；　

and　in　no　other。



But　if　you　cannot　afford　the　expense　of　your　own　dredge　and　boat；　

and　the　time　and　trouble　necessary　to　follow　the　occupation　

scientifically；　yet　every　trawler　and　oyster…boat　will　afford　you　a　

tolerable　satisfaction。　　Go　on　board　one　of　these；　and　while　the　

trawl　is　down；　spend　a　pleasant　hour　or　two　in　talking　with　the　

simple；　honest；　sturdy　fellows　who　work　it；　from　whom　（if　you　are　

as　fortunate　as　I　have　been　for　many　a　year　past）　you　may　get　many　

a　moving　story　of　danger　and　sorrow；　as　well　as　many　a　shrewd　

practical　maxim；　and　often；　too；　a　living　recognition　of　God；　and　

the　providence　of　God；　which　will　send　you　home；　perhaps；　a　wiser　

and　more　genial　man。　　And　when　the　trawl　is　hauled；　wait　till　the　

fish　are　counted　out；　and　packed　away；　and　then　kneel　down　and　

inspect　（in　a　pair　of　Mackintosh　leggings；　and　your　oldest　coat）　

the　crawling　heap　of　shells　and　zoophytes　which　remains　behind　

about　the　decks；　and　you　will　find；　if　a　landsman；　enough　to　occupy　

you　for　a　week　to　come。　　Nay；　even　if　it　be　too　calm　for　trawling；　

condescend　to　go　out　in　a　dingy；　and　help　to　haul　some　honest　

fellow's　deep…sea　lines　and　lobster…pots；　and　you　will　find　more　

and　stranger　things　about　them　than　even　fish　or　lobsters：　　though　

they；　to　him　who　has　eyes　to　see；　are　strange　enough。



I　speak　from　experience；　for　it　was　not　so　very　long　ago　that；　in　

the　north　of　Devon；　I　found　sermons；　not　indeed　in　stones；　but　in　a　

creature　reputed　among　the　most　worthless　of　sea…vermin。　　I　had　

been　lounging　about　all　the　morning　on　the　little　pier；　waiting；　

with　the　rest　of　the　village；　for　a　trawling　breeze　which　would　not　

come。　　Two　o'clock　was　past；　and　still　the　red　mainsails　of　the　

skiffs　hung　motionless；　and　their　images　quivered　head　downwards　in　

the　glassy　swell；





〃As　idle　as　a　painted　ship

Upon　a　painted　ocean。〃





It　was　neap…tide；　too；　and　therefore　nothing　could　be　done　among　

the　rocks。　　So；　in　despair；　finding　an　old　coast…guard　friend　

starting　for　his　lobster…pots；　I　determined　to　save　the　old　man's　

arms；　by　rowing　him　up　the　shore；　and　then　paddled　homeward　again；　

under　the　high　green　northern　wall；　five　hundred　feet　of　cliff　

furred　to　the　water's　edge　with　rich　oak　woods；　against　whose　base　

the　smooth　Atlantic　swell　died　whispering；　as　if　curling　itself　up　

to　sleep　at　last　within　that　sheltered　nook；　tired　with　its　weary　

wanderings。　　The　sun　sank　lower　and　lower　behind　the　deer…park　

point；　the　white　stair　of　houses　up　the　glen　was　wrapped　every　

moment　deeper　and　deeper　in　hazy　smoke　and　shade；　as　the　light　

faded；　the　evening　fires　were　lighted　one　by　one；　the　soft　murmur　

of　the　waterfall；　and　the　pleasant　laugh　of　children；　and　the　

splash　of　homeward　oars；　came　clearer　and　clearer　to　the　ear　at　

every　stroke：　　and　as　we　rowed　on；　arose　the　recollection　of　many　a　

brave　and　wise　friend；　whose　lot　was　cast　in　no　such　western　

paradise；　but　rather　in　the　infernos　of　this　sinful　earth；　toiling　

even　then　amid　the　festering　alleys　of　Bermondsey　and　Bethnal　

Green；　to　palliate　death　and　misery　which　they　had　vainly　laboured　

to　prevent；　watching　the　strides　of　that　very　cholera　which　they　

had　been　striving　for　years　to　ward　off；　now　re…admitted　in　spite　

of　all　their　warnings；　by　the　carelessness；　and　laziness；　and　greed　

of　sinful　man。　　And　as　I　thought　over　the　whole　hapless　q