darwin and modern science-第117节

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n　any　presentation　of　his　theory　a　striking　proof　will　be　found　in　a　passage　of　the　touching　letter　to　his　wife；　enjoining　the　publication　of　his　sketch　of　1844。　　〃In　case　of　my　sudden　death；〃　he　wrote；　〃。。。the　editor　must　be　a　geologist　as　well　as　a　naturalist。〃　　（〃L。L。〃　II。　pages　16；　17。）

In　spite　of　the　numerous　and　valuable　palaeontological　discoveries　made　since　the　publication　of　〃The　Origin　of　Species〃；　the　importance　of　the　first　of　these　two　geological　chapters　is　as　great　as　ever。　　It　still　remains　true　that　〃Those　who　believe　that　the　geological　record　is　in　any　degree　perfect；　will　at　once　reject　the　theory〃as　indeed　they　must　reject　any　theory　of　evolution。　　The　striking　passage　with　which　Darwin　concludes　this　chapterin　which　he　compares　the　record　of　the　rocks　to　the　much　mutilated　volumes　of　a　human　historyremains　as　apt　an　illustration　as　it　did　when　first　written。

And　the　second　geological　chapter；　on　the　Succession　of　Organic　Beings　though　it　has　been　strengthened　in　a　thousand　ways；　by　the　discoveries　concerning　the　pedigrees　of　the　horse；　the　elephant　and　many　other　aberrant　types；　though　new　light　has　been　thrown　even　on　the　origin　of　great　groups　like　the　mammals；　and　the　gymnosperms；　though　not　a　few　fresh　links　have　been　discovered　in　the　chains　of　evidence；　concerning　the　order　of　appearance　of　new　forms　of　lifewe　would　not　wish　to　have　re…written。　　Only　the　same　line　of　argument　could　be　adopted；　though　with　innumerable　fresh　illustrations。　　Those　who　reject　the　reasonings　of　this　chapter；　neither　would　they　be　persuaded　if　a　long　and　complete　succession　of　〃ancestral　forms〃　could　rise　from　the　dead　and　pass　in　procession　before　them。

Among　the　geological　discussions；　which　so　frequently　occupied　Darwin's　attention　during　the　later　years　of　his　life；　there　was　one　concerning　which　his　attitude　seemed　somewhat　remarkableI　allude　to　his　views　on　〃the　permanence　of　Continents　and　Ocean…basins。〃　　In　a　letter　to　Mr　Mellard　Reade；　written　at　the　end　of　1880；　he　wrote：　　〃On　the　whole；　I　lean　to　the　side　that　the　continents　have　since　Cambrian　times　occupied　approximately　their　present　positions。　　But；　as　I　have　said；　the　question　seems　a　difficult　one；　and　the　more　it　is　discussed　the　better。〃　　（〃M。L。〃　II。　page　147。）　　Since　this　was　written；　the　important　contribution　to　the　subject　by　the　late　Dr　W。T。　Blanford　（himself；　like　Darwin；　a　naturalist　and　geologist）　has　appeared　in　an　address　to　the　Geological　Society　in　1890；　and　many　discoveries；　like　that　of　Dr　Woolnough　in　Fiji；　have　led　to　considerable　qualifications　of　the　generalisation　that　all　the　islands　in　the　great　ocean　are　wholly　of　volcanic　or　coral　origin。

I　remember　once　expressing　surprise　to　Darwin　that；　after　the　views　which　he　had　originated　concerning　the　existence　of　areas　of　elevation　and　others　of　subsidence　in　the　Pacific　Ocean；　and　in　face　of　the　admitted　difficulty　of　accounting　for　the　distribution　of　certain　terrestrial　animals　and　plants；　if　the　land　and　sea　areas　had　been　permanent　in　position；　he　still　maintained　that　theory。　　Looking　at　me　with　a　whimsical　smile；　he　said：　　〃I　have　seen　many　of　my　old　friends　make　fools　of　themselves；　by　putting　forward　new　theoretical　views　or　revising　old　ones；　AFTER　THEY　WERE　SIXTY　YEARS　OF　AGE；　so；　long　ago；　I　determined　that　on　reaching　that　age　I　would　write　nothing　more　of　a　speculative　character。〃

Though　Darwin's　letters　and　conversations　on　geology　during　these　later　years　were　the　chief　manifestations　of　the　interest　he　preserved　in　his　〃old　love；〃　as　he　continued　to　call　it；　yet　in　the　sunset　of　that　active　life　a　gleam　of　the　old　enthusiasm　for　geology　broke　forth　once　more。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　Darwin's　inability　to　occupy　himself　with　field…　work　proved　an　insuperable　difficulty　to　any　attempt　on　his　part　to　resume　active　geological　research。　　But；　as　is　shown　by　the　series　of　charming　volumes　on　plant…life；　Darwin　had　found　compensation　in　making　patient　and　persevering　experiment　take　the　place　of　enterprising　and　exact　observation；　and　there　was　one　direction　in　which　he　could　indulge　the　〃old　love〃　by　employment　of　the　new　faculty。

We　have　seen　that　the　earliest　memoir　written　by　Darwin；　which　was　published　in　full；　was　a　paper　〃On　the　Formation　of　Mould〃　which　was　read　at　the　Geological　Society　on　November　1st；　1837；　but　did　not　appear　in　the　〃Transactions〃　of　the　Society　till　1840；　where　it　occupied　four　and　a　half　quarto　pages；　including　some　supplementary　matter；　obtained　later；　and　a　woodcut。　　This　little　paper　was　confined　to　observations　made　in　his　uncle's　fields　in　Staffordshire；　where　burnt　clay；　cinders；　and　sand　were　found　to　be　buried　under　a　layer　of　black　earth；　evidently　brought　from　below　by　earthworms；　and　to　a　recital　of　similar　facts　from　Scotland　obtained　through　the　agency　of　Lyell。　　The　subsequent　history　of　Darwin's　work　on　this　question　affords　a　striking　example　of　the　tenacity　of　purpose　with　which　he　continued　his　enquiries　on　any　subject　that　interested　him。

In　1842；　as　soon　as　he　was　settled　at　Down；　he　began　a　series　of　observations　on　a　foot…path　and　in　his　fields；　that　continued　with　intermissions　during　his　whole　life；　and　he　extended　his　enquiries　from　time　to　time　to　the　neighbouring　parks　of　Knole　and　Holwood。　　In　1844　we　find　him　making　a　communication　to　the　〃Gardener's　Chronicle〃　on　the　subject。　　About　1870；　his　attention　to　the　question　was　stimulated　by　the　circumstance　that　his　niece　（Miss　L。　Wedgwood）　undertook　to　collect　and　weigh　the　worm…casts　thrown　up；　during　a　whole　year；　on　measured　squares　selected　for　the　purpose；　at　Leith　Hill　Place。　　He　also　obtained　information　from　Professor　Ramsay　concerning　observations　made　by　him　on　a　pavement　near　his　house　in　1871。　　Darwin　at　this　time　began　to　realise　the　great　importance　of　the　action　of　worms　to　the　archaeologist。　　At　an　earlier　date　he　appears　to　have　obtained　some　information　concerning　articles　found　buried　on　the　battle…field　of　Shrewsbury；　and　the　old　Roman　town　of　Uriconium；　near　his　early　home；　between　1871　and　1878　Mr　（afterwards　Lord）　Farrer　carried　on　a　series　of　investigations　at　the　Roman　Villa　discovered　on　his　land　at　Abinger；　Darwin's　son　William　examined　for　his　father　the　evidence　at　Beaulieu　Abbey；　Brading；　Stonehenge　and　other　localities　in　the　neighbourhood　of　his　home；　his　sons　Francis　and　Horace　were　enlisted　to　make　similar　enquiries　at　Chideock　and　Silchester；　while　Francis　Galton　contributed　facts　noticed　in　his　walks　in　Hyde　Park。　　By　correspondence　with　Fritz　Muller　and　Dr　Ernst；　Darwin　obtained　information　concerning　the　worm…casts　found　in　South　America；　from　Dr　Kreft　those　of　Australia；　and　from　Mr　Scott　and　Dr　（afterwards　Sir　George）　King；　those　of　India；　the　last…named　correspondent　also　supplied　him　with　much　valuable　information　obtained　in　the　South　of　Europe。　　Help　too　was　obtained　from　the　memoirs　on　Earthworms　published　by　Perrier　in　1874　and　van　Hensen　in　1877；　while　Professor　Ray　Lankester　supplied　important　facts　with　regard　to　their　anatomy。

When　therefore　the　series　of　interesting　monographs　on　plant…life　had　been　completed；　Darwin　set　to　work　in　bringing　the　information　that　he　had　gradually　accumulated　during　forty…four　years　to　bear　on　the　subject　of　his　early　paper。　　He　also　utilised　the　skill　and　ingenuity　he　had　acquired　in　botanical　work　to　aid　in　the　elucidation　of　many　of　the　difficulties　that　presented　themselves。　　I　well　remember　a　visit　which　I　paid　to　Down　at　this　period。　　At　the　side　of　the　little　study　stood　flower…pots　containing　earth　with　worms；　and；　without　interrupting　our　conversation；　Darwin　would　from　time　to　time　lift　the　glass　plate　covering　a　pot　to　watch　what　was　going　on。　　Occasionally；　with　a　humorous　smile；　he　would　murmur　something　about　a　book　in　another　room；　and　slip　away；　returning　shortly；　without　the　book　but　with　unmistakeable　signs　of　having　visited　the　snuff…jar　outside。　　After　working　about　a　year　at　the　worms；　he　was　able　at　the　end　of　1881　to　publish　the　charming　little　book〃The　Formation　of　Vegetable　Mould　through　the　Action　of　Worms；　with　Observations　on　their　Habits〃。　　This　was　the　last　of　his　books；　and　its　reception　by　reviewers　and　the　public　alike　afforded　the　patient　old　worker　no　little　gratification。　　Darwin's　scientific　career；　which　had　begun　with　geological　research；　most　appropriately　ended　with　a　return　to　it。

It　has　been　impossible　to　sketch　the　origin　and　influence　of　Darwin's　geological　work　without；　at　almost　every　step；　referring　to　the　part　played　by　Lyell　and　the　〃Principles　of　Geology〃。　　Haeckel；　in　the　chapters　on　Lyell　and　Darwin　in　his　〃History　of　Creation〃；　and　Huxley　in　his　striking　essay　〃On　the　Reception　of　the　Origin　of　Species〃　（〃L。L。〃　II。　pages　179…　204。）　have　both　strongly　insisted　on　the　fact　that　the　〃Origin〃　of　Darwin　was　a　necessary　corollary　to　the　〃Principles〃　of　Lyell。

It　is　true　that；　in　an　earlier　essay；　Huxley　had　spoken　of　the　doctrine　of　Uniformitarianism　as　being；　in　a　certain　sense；　opposed　to　that　of　Evolution　（Huxley's　Address　to　the　Geological　Society；　1869。　　〃Collected　Essays〃；　Vol。　VIII。　page　305；　London；　1896。）；　but　in　his　later　years　he　took　up　a　very　different　and　more　logical　position；　and　maintained　that　〃Consisten