darwin and modern science-第111节

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rian　teaching。　　Macculloch　alone　gave　valuable　support　to　the　Huttonian　doctrines；　so　far　as　they　related　to　the　influence　of　igneous　activitybut　the　most　important　portion　of　the　now　celebrated　〃Theory　of　the　Earth〃that　dealing　with　the　competency　of　existing　agencies　to　account　for　changes　in　past　geological　timeswas　ignored　by　all　alike。　　Macculloch's　influence　on　the　development　of　geology；　which　might　have　had　far…reaching　effects；　was　to　a　great　extent　neutralised　by　his　peculiarities　of　mind　and　temper；　and；　after　a　stormy　and　troublous　career；　he　retired　from　the　society　in　1832。　　In　all　the　writings　of　the　great　pioneers　in　English　geology；　Hutton　and　his　splendid　generalisation　are　scarcely　ever　referred　to。　　The　great　doctrines　of　Uniformitarianism；　which　he　had　foreshadowed；　were　completely　ignored；　and　only　his　extravagances　of　〃anti…Wernerianism〃　seem　to　have　been　remembered。

When　between　1830　and　1832；　Lyell；　taking　up　the　almost　forgotten　ideas　of　Hutton；　von　Hoff　and　Prevost；　published　that　bold　challenge　to　the　Catastrophiststhe　〃Principles　of　Geology〃he　was　met　with　the　strongest　opposition；　not　only　from　the　outside　world；　which　was　amused　by　his　〃absurdities〃　and　shocked　by　his　〃impiety〃but　not　less　from　his　fellow…　workers　and　friends　in　the　Geological　Society。　　For　Lyell's　numerous　original　observations；　and　his　diligent　collection　of　facts　his　contemporaries　had　nothing　but　admiration；　and　they　cheerfully　admitted　him　to　the　highest　offices　in　the　society；　but　they　met　his　reasonings　on　geological　theory　with　vehement　opposition　and　his　conclusions　with　coldness　and　contempt。

There　is；　indeed；　a　very　striking　parallelism　between　the　reception　of　the　〃Principles　of　Geology〃　by　Lyell's　contemporaries　and　the　manner　in　which　the　〃Origin　of　Species〃　was　met　a　quarter　of　a　century　later；　as　is　so　vividly　described　by　Huxley。　　（〃L。L。〃　II。　pages　179…204。）　　Among　Lyell's　fellow…geologists；　two　onlyG。　Poulett　Scrope　and　John　Herschel　（Both　Lyell　and　Darwin　fully　realised　the　value　of　the　support　of　these　two　friends。　　Scrope　in　his　appreciative　reviews　of　the　〃Principles〃　justly　pointed　out　what　was　the　weakest　point；　the　inadequate　recognition　of　sub…　aerial　as　compared　with　marine　denudation。　　Darwin　also　admitted　that　Scrope　had　to　a　great　extent　forestalled　him　in　his　theory　of　Foliation。　　Herschel　from　the　first　insisted　that　the　leading　idea　of　the　〃Principles〃　must　be　applied　to　organic　as　well　as　to　inorganic　nature　and　must　explain　the　appearance　of　new　species　（see　Lyell's　〃Life　and　Letters〃；　Vol。　I。　page　467）。　　Darwin　tells　us　that　Herschel's　〃Introduction　to　the　Study　of　Natural　Philosophy〃　with　Humboldt's　〃Personal　Narrative〃　〃stirred　up　in　me　a　burning　zeal〃　in　his　undergraduate　days。　　I　once　heard　Lyell　exclaim　with　fervour　〃If　ever　there　was　a　heaven…born　genius　it　was　John　Herschel！〃）　declared　themselves　from　the　first　his　strong　supporters。　Scrope　in　two　luminous　articles　in　the　〃Quarterly　Review〃　did　for　Lyell　what　Huxley　accomplished　for　Darwin　in　his　famous　review　in　the　〃Times〃；　but　Scrope　unfortunately　was　at　that　time　immersed　in　the　stormy　sea　of　politics；　and　devoted　his　great　powers　of　exposition　to　the　preparation　of　fugitive　pamphlets。　　Herschel；　like　Scrope；　was　unable　to　support　Lyell　at　the　Geological　Society；　owing　to　his　absence　on　the　important　astronomical　mission　to　the　Cape。

It　thus　came　about　that；　in　the　frequent　conflicts　of　opinion　within　the　walls　of　the　Geological　Society；　Lyell　had　to　bear　the　brunt　of　battle　for　Uniformitarianism　quite　alone；　and　it　is　to　be　feared　that　he　found　himself　sadly　overmatched　when　opposed　by　the　eloquence　of　Sedgwick；　the　sarcasm　of　Buckland；　and　the　dead　weight　of　incredulity　on　the　part　of　Greenough；　Conybeare；　Murchison　and　other　members　of　the　band　of　pioneer　workers。　　As　time　went　on　there　is　evidence　that　the　opposition　of　De　la　Beche　and　Whewell　somewhat　relaxed；　the　brilliant　〃Paddy〃　Fitton　（as　his　friends　called　him）　was　sometimes　found　in　alliance　with　Lyell；　but　was　characteristically　apt　to　turn　his　weapon；　as　occasion　served；　on　friend　or　foe　alike；　the　amiable　John　Phillips　〃sat　upon　the　fence。〃　　Only　when　a　new　generation　aroseincluding　Jukes；　Ramsay；　Forbes　and　Hookerdid　Lyell　find　his　teachings　received　with　anything　like　favour。

We　can　well　understand；　then；　how　Lyell　would　welcome　such　a　recruit　as　young　Darwina　man　who　had　declared　himself　more　Lyellian　than　Lyell；　and　who　brought　to　his　support　facts　and　observations　gleaned　from　so　wide　a　field。

The　first　meeting　of　Lyell　and　Darwin　was　characteristic　of　the　two　men。　　Darwin　at　once　explained　to　Lyell　that；　with　respect　to　the　origin　of　coral…reefs；　he　had　arrived　at　views　directly　opposed　to　those　published　by　〃his　master。〃　　To　give　up　his　own　theory；　cost　Lyell；　as　he　told　Herschel；　a　〃pang　at　first；〃　but　he　was　at　once　convinced　of　the　immeasurable　superiority　of　Darwin's　theory。　　I　have　heard　members　of　Lyell's　family　tell　of　the　state　of　wild　excitement　and　sustained　enthusiasm；　which　lasted　for　days　with　Lyell　after　this　interview；　and　his　letters　to　Herschel；　Whewell　and　others　show　his　pleasure　at　the　new　light　thrown　upon　the　subject　and　his　impatience　to　have　the　matter　laid　before　the　Geological　Society。

Writing　forty　years　afterwards；　Darwin；　speaking　of　the　time　of　the　return　of　the　〃Beagle〃；　says：　　〃I　saw　a　great　deal　of　Lyell。　　One　of　his　chief　characteristics　was　his　sympathy　with　the　work　of　others；　and　I　was　as　much　astonished　as　delighted　at　the　interest　which　he　showed　when；　on　my　return　to　England；　I　explained　to　him　my　views　on　coral…reefs。　　This　encouraged　me　greatly；　and　his　advice　and　example　had　much　influence　on　me。〃　　（〃L。L。〃　I。　page　68。）　　Darwin　further　states　that　he　saw　more　of　Lyell　at　this　time　than　of　any　other　scientific　man；　and　at　his　request　sent　his　first　communication　to　the　Geological　Society。　　（〃L。L。〃　I。　page　67。）

〃Mr　Lonsdale〃　（the　able　curator　of　the　Geological　Society）；　Darwin　wrote　to　Henslow；　〃with　whom　I　had　much　interesting　conversation；〃　〃gave　me　a　most　cordial　reception；〃　and　he　adds；　〃If　I　was　not　much　more　inclined　for　geology　than　the　other　branches　of　Natural　History；　I　am　sure　Mr　Lyell's　and　Lonsdale's　kindness　ought　to　fix　me。　　You　cannot　conceive　anything　more　thoroughly　good…natured　than　the　heart…and…soul　manner　in　which　he　put　himself　in　my　place　and　thought　what　would　be　best　to　do。〃　　（〃L。L。〃　I。　page　275。）

Within　a　few　days　of　Darwin's　arrival　in　London　we　find　Lyell　writing　to　Owen　as　follows：

〃Mrs　Lyell　and　I　expect　a　few　friends　here　on　Saturday　next；　29th　（October）；　to　an　early　tea　party　at　eight　o'clock；　and　it　will　give　us　great　pleasure　if　you　can　join　it。　　Among　others　you　will　meet　Mr　Charles　Darwin；　whom　I　believe　you　have　seen；　just　returned　from　South　America；　where　he　has　laboured　for　zoologists　as　well　as　for　hammer…bearers。　　I　have　also　asked　your　friend　Broderip。〃　　（〃The　Life　of　Richard　Owen〃；　London；　1894；　Vol。　I。　page　102。）　　It　would　probably　be　on　this　occasion　that　the　services　of　Owen　were　secured　for　the　work　on　the　fossil　bones　sent　home　by　Darwin。

On　November　2nd；　we　find　Lyell　introducing　Darwin　as　his　guest　at　the　Geological　Society　Club；　on　December　14th；　Lyell　and　Stokes　proposed　Darwin　as　a　member　of　the　Club；　between　that　date　and　May　3rd　of　the　following　year；　when　his　election　to　the　Club　took　place；　he　was　several　times　dining　as　a　guest。

On　January　4th；　1837；　as　we　have　already　seen；　Darwin　was　formally　admitted　to　the　Geological　Society；　and　on　the　same　evening　he　read　his　first　paper　（I　have　already　pointed　out　that　the　notes　read　at　the　Geological　Society　on　Nov。　18；　1835　were　extracts　made　by　Sedgwick　from　letters　sent　to　Henslow；　and　not　a　paper　sent　home　for　publication　by　Darwin。）　before　the　Society；　〃Observations　of　proofs　of　recent　elevation　on　the　coast　of　Chili；　made　during　the　Survey　of　H。M。S。　〃Beagle〃；　commanded　by　Captain　FitzRoy；　R。N。〃　　By　C。　Darwin；　F。G。S。　　This　paper　was　preceded　by　one　on　the　same　subject　by　Mr　A。　Caldcleugh；　and　the　reading　of　a　letter　and　other　communications　from　the　Foreign　Office　also　relating　to　the　earthquakes　in　Chili。

At　the　meeting　of　the　Council　of　the　Geological　Society　on　February　1st；　Darwin　was　nominated　as　a　member　of　the　new　Council；　and　he　was　elected　on　February　17th。

The　meeting　of　the　Geological　Society　on　April　19th　was　devoted　to　the　reading　by　Owen　of　his　paper　on　Toxodon；　perhaps　the　most　remarkable　of　the　fossil　mammals　found　by　Darwin　in　South　America；　and　at　the　next　meeting；　on　May　3rd；　Darwin　himself　read　〃A　Sketch　of　the　Deposits　containing　extinct　Mammalia　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Plata〃。　　The　next　following　meeting；　on　May　17th；　was　devoted　to　Darwin's　Coral…reef　paper；　entitled　〃On　certain　areas　of　elevation　and　subsidence　in　the　Pacific　and　Indian　Oceans；　as　deduced　from　the　study　of　Coral　Formations〃。　　Neither　of　these　three　early　papers　of　Darwin　were　published　in　the　Transactions　of　the　Geological　Society；　but　the　minutes　of　the　Council　show　that　they　were　〃withdrawn　by　the　author　by　permission　of　the　Council。〃

Darwin's　activity　during　this　session　led　to　some　rather　alarming　effects　upon　his　health；　and　he　was　induced　to　take　a　holiday　in　Staffordshire　and　the　Isle　of