darwin and modern science-第114节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


several　islands　of　the　Galapagos　Islands　gave　him　his　SECOND　impulse　towards　abandoning　the　prevalent　view　of　the　immutability　of　species。　　When　then　in　his　pocket…book　for　1837　Darwin　wrote　the　often　quoted　passage：　　〃In　July　opened　first　note…book　on　Transmutation　of　Species。　　Had　been　greatly　struck　from　about　the　month　of　previous　March　on　character　of　South　American　fossils；　and　species　on　Galapagos　Archipelago。　　These　facts　（especially　latter）；　origin　of　all　my　views〃　（〃L。L。〃　I。　page　276。）；　it　is　clear　that　he　must　refer；　not　to　his　first　inception　of　the　idea　of　evolution；　but　to　the　flood　of　recollections；　the　reawakening　of　his　interest　in　the　subject；　which　could　not　fail　to　result　from　the　sight　of　his　specimens　and　the　reference　to　his　notes。

Except　during　the　summer　vacation；　when　he　was　visiting　his　father　and　uncle；　and　with　the　latter　making　his　first　observations　upon　the　work　of　earthworms；　Darwin　was　busy　with　his　arrangements　for　the　publication　of　the　five　volumes　of　the　〃Zoology　of　the　'Beagle'〃　and　in　getting　the　necessary　financial　aid　from　the　government　for　the　preparation　of　the　plates。　　He　was　at　the　same　time　preparing　his　〃Journal〃　for　publication。　　During　the　years　1837　to　1843；　Darwin　worked　intermittently　on　the　volumes　of　Zoology；　all　of　which　he　edited；　while　he　wrote　introductions　to　those　by　Owen　and　Waterhouse　and　supplied　notes　to　the　others。

Although　Darwin　says　of　his　Journal　that　the　preparation　of　the　book　〃was　not　hard　work；　as　my　MS。　Journal　had　been　written　with　care。〃　　Yet　from　the　time　that　he　settled　at　36；　Great　Marlborough　Street　in　March；　1837；　to　the　following　November　he　was　occupied　with　this　book。　　He　tells　us　that　the　account　of　his　scientific　observations　was　added　at　this　time。　　The　work　was　not　published　till　March；　1839；　when　it　appeared　as　the　third　volume　of　the　〃Narrative　of　the　Surveying　Voyages　of　H。M。　Ships　'Adventure'　and　'Beagle'　between　the　years　1826　and　1836〃。　　The　book　was　probably　a　long　time　in　the　press；　for　there　are　no　less　than　20　pages　of　addenda　in　small　print。　　Even　in　this；　its　first　form；　the　work　is　remarkable　for　its　freshness　and　charm；　and　excited　a　great　amount　of　attention　and　interest。　　In　addition　to　matters　treated　of　in　greater　detail　in　his　other　works；　there　are　many　geological　notes　of　extreme　value　in　this　volume；　such　as　his　account　of　lightning　tubes；　of　the　organisms　found　in　dust；　and　of　the　obsidian　bombs　of　Australia。

Having　thus　got　out　of　hand　a　number　of　preliminary　duties；　Darwin　was　ready　to　set　to　work　upon　the　three　volumes　which　were　designed　by　him　to　constitute　〃The　Geology　of　the　Voyage　of　the　'Beagle'〃。　　The　first　of　these　was　to　be　on　〃The　Structure　and　Distribution　of　Coral…reefs〃。　　He　commenced　the　writing　of　the　book　on　October　5；　1838；　and　the　last　proof　was　corrected　on　May　6；　1842。　　Allowing　for　the　frequent　interruptions　through　illness；　Darwin　estimated　that　it　cost　him　twenty　months　of　hard　work。

Darwin　has　related　how　his　theory　of　Coral…reefs　which　was　begun　in　a　more　〃deductive　spirit〃　than　any　of　his　other　work；　for　in　1834　or　1835　it　〃was　thought　out　on　the　west　coast　of　South　America；　before　I　had　seen　a　true　coral…reef。〃　　（〃L。L。〃　I。　page　70。）　　The　final　chapter　in　Lyell's　second　volume　of　the　〃Principles〃　was　devoted　to　the　subject　of　Coral…reefs；　and　a　theory　was　suggested　to　account　for　the　peculiar　phenomena　of　〃atolls。〃　Darwin　at　once　saw　the　difficulty　of　accepting　the　view　that　the　numerous　and　diverse　atolls　all　represent　submerged　volcanic　craters。　　His　own　work　had　for　two　years　been　devoted　to　the　evidence　of　land　movements　over　great　areas　in　South　America；　and　thus　he　was　led　to　announce　his　theory　of　subsidence　to　account　for　barrier　and　encircling　reefs　as　well　as　atolls。

Fortunately；　during　his　voyage　across　the　Pacific　and　Indian　Oceans；　in　his　visit　to　Australia　and　his　twelve　days'　hard　work　at　Keeling　Island；　he　had　opportunities　for　putting　his　theory　to　the　test　of　observation。

On　his　return　to　England；　Darwin　appears　to　have　been　greatly　surprised　at　the　amount　of　interest　that　his　new　theory　excited。　　Urged　by　Lyell；　he　read　to　the　Geological　Society　a　paper　on　the　subject；　as　we　have　seen；　with　as　little　delay　as　possible；　but　this　paper　was　〃withdrawn　by　permission　of　the　Council。〃　　An　abstract　of　three　pages　however　appeared　in　the　〃Proceedings　of　the　Geological　Society〃。　　（Vol。　II。　pages　552…554　（May　31；　1837）。）　　A　full　account　of　the　observations　and　the　theory　was　given　in　the　〃Journal〃　（1839）　in　the　40　pages　devoted　to　Keeling　Island　in　particular　and　to　Coral　formations　generally。　　（〃Journal　（1st　edition）；　pages　439…69。）

It　will　be　readily　understood　what　an　amount　of　labour　the　book　on　Coral　reefs　cost　Darwin　when　we　reflect　on　the　number　of　charts；　sailing　directions；　narratives　of　voyages　and　other　works　which；　with　the　friendly　assistance　of　the　authorities　at　the　Admiralty；　he　had　to　consult　before　he　could　draw　up　his　sketch　of　the　nature　and　distribution　of　the　reefs；　and　this　was　necessary　before　the　theory；　in　all　its　important　bearings；　could　be　clearly　enunciated。　　Very　pleasing　is　it　to　read　how　Darwin；　although　arriving　at　a　different　conclusion　to　Lyell；　shows；　by　quoting　a　very　suggestive　passage　in　the　〃Principles〃　（1st　edition　Vol。　II。　page　296。）；　how　the　latter　only　just　missed　the　true　solution。　　This　passage　is　cited；　both　in　the　〃Journal〃　and　the　volume　on　Coral…reefs。　　Lyell；　as　we　have　seen；　received　the　new　theory　not　merely　ungrudgingly；　but　with　the　utmost　enthusiasm。

In　1849　Darwin　was　gratified　by　receiving　the　support　of　Dana；　after　his　prolonged　investigation　in　connection　with　the　U。S。　Exploring　Expedition　（〃M。L。〃　II。　pages　226…8。）；　and　in　1874　he　prepared　a　second　edition　of　his　book；　in　which　some　objections　which　had　been　raised　to　the　theory　were　answered。　　A　third　edition；　edited　by　Professor　Bonney；　appeared　in　1880；　and　a　fourth　（a　reprint　of　the　first　edition；　with　introduction　by　myself）　in　1890。

Although　Professor　Semper；　in　his　account　of　the　Pelew　Islands；　had　suggested　difficulties　in　the　acceptance　of　Darwin's　theory；　it　was　not　till　after　the　return　of　the　〃Challenger〃　expedition　in　1875　that　a　rival　theory　was　propounded；　and　somewhat　heated　discussions　were　raised　as　to　the　respective　merits　of　the　two　theories。　　While　geologists　have；　nearly　without　exception；　strongly　supported　Darwin's　views；　the　notes　of　dissent　have　come　almost　entirely　from　zoologists。　　At　the　height　of　the　controversy　unfounded　charges　of　unfairness　were　made　against　Darwin's　supporters　and　the　authorities　of　the　Geological　Society；　but　this　unpleasant　subject　has　been　disposed　of；　once　for　all；　by　Huxley。　　（〃Essays　upon　some　Controverted　Questions〃；　London；　1892；　pages　314…328　and　623…　625。）

Darwin's　final　and　very　characteristic　utterance　on　the　coral…reef　controversy　is　found　in　a　letter　which　he　wrote　to　Professor　Alexander　Agassiz；　May　5th；　1881：　　less　than　a　year　before　his　death：　　〃If　I　am　wrong；　the　sooner　I　am　knocked　on　the　head　and　annihilated　so　much　the　better。　　It　still　seems　to　me　a　marvellous　thing　that　there　should　not　have　been　much；　and　long…continued；　subsidence　in　the　beds　of　the　great　oceans。　I　wish　that　some　doubly　rich　millionaire　would　take　it　into　his　head　to　have　borings　made　in　some　of　the　Pacific　and　Indian　atolls；　and　bring　home　cores　for　slicing　from　a　depth　of　500　or　600　feet。〃　　（〃L。L。〃　III。　page　184。）

Though　the　〃doubly　rich　millionaire〃　has　not　been　forthcoming；　the　energy；　in　England；　of　Professor　Sollas；　and　in　New　South　Wales　of　Professor　Anderson　Stuart　served　to　set　on　foot　a　project；　which；　aided　at　first　by　the　British　Association　for　the　Advancement　of　Science；　and　afterwards　taken　up　jointly　by　the　Royal　Society；　the　New　South　Wales　Government；　and　the　Admiralty；　has　led　to　the　most　definite　and　conclusive　results。

The　Committee　appointed　by　the　Royal　Society　to　carry　out　the　undertaking　included　representatives　of　all　the　views　that　had　been　put　forward　on　the　subject。　　The　place　for　the　experiment　was；　with　the　consent　of　every　member　of　the　Committee；　selected　by　the　late　Admiral　Sir　W。J。　Whartonwho　was　not　himself　an　adherent　of　Darwin's　viewsand　no　one　has　ventured　to　suggest　that　his　selection；　the　splendid　atoll　of　Funafuti；　was　not　a　most　judicious　one。

By　the　pluck　and　perseverance　of　Professor　Sollas　in　the　preliminary　expedition；　and　of　Professor　T。　Edgeworth　David　and　his　pupils；　in　subsequent　investigations　of　the　island；　the　rather　difficult　piece　of　work　was　brought　to　a　highly　satisfactory　conclusion。　　The　New　South　Wales　Government　lent　boring　apparatus　and　workmen；　and　the　Admiralty　carried　the　expedition　to　its　destination　in　a　surveying　ship　which；　under　Captain　（now　Admiral）　A。　Mostyn　Field；　made　the　most　complete　survey　of　the　atoll　and　its　surrounding　seas　that　has　ever　been　undertaken　in　the　case　of　a　coral　formation。

After　some　failures　and　many　interruptions；　the　boring　was　carried　to　the　depth　of　1114　feet；　and　the　cores　obtained　were　sent　to　England。　　Here　the　examination　of　the　materials　was　fortunately　undertaken　by　a　zoologist　of　the　highest　repute；　Dr　G。J。　Hindewho　has　a　wide　experience　in　the　study　of　organisms　by　sectionsand　he　was　aided　at