glaucus- 第10部分

an　hour。　　Look　at　the　Crinoids；　or　stalked　star…fishes；　the　〃Lilies　

of　living　stone；〃　which　swarmed　in　the　ancient　seas；　in　vast　

variety；　and　in　such　numbers　that　whole　beds　of　limestone　are　

composed　of　their　disjointed　fragments；　but　which　have　vanished　out　

of　our　modern　seas；　we　know　not　why；　till；　a　few　years　since；　

almost　the　only　known　living　species　was　the　exquisite　and　rare　

Pentacrinus　asteria；　from　deep　water　off　the　Windward　Isles　of　the　

West　Indies。



Of　this　you　will　see　a　specimen　or　two　both　at　Liverpool　and　in　the　

British　Museum；　and　near　them；　probably；　specimens　of　the　new…old　

Crinoids；　discovered　of　late　years　by　Professor　Sars；　Mr。　Gwyn　

Jeffreys；　Dr。　Carpenter；　Dr。　Wyville　Thomson；　and　the　other　deep…

sea　disciples　of　the　mythic　Glaucus；　the　fisherman；　who；　enamoured　

of　the　wonders　of　the　sea；　plunged　into　the　blue　abyss　once　and　for　

all；　and　became　himself　〃the　blue　old　man　of　the　sea。〃



Next　look　at　the　corals；　and　Gorgonias；　and　all　the　sea…fern　tribe　

of　branching　polypidoms；　and　last；　but　not　least；　at　the　glass　

sponges；　first　at　the　Euplectella；　or　Venus's　flower…basket；　which　

lives　embedded　in　the　mud　of　the　seas　of　the　Philippines；　supported　

by　a　glass　frill　〃standing　up　round　it　like　an　Elizabethan　ruff。〃　　

Twenty　years　ago　there　was　but　one　specimen　in　Europe：　　now　you　may　

buy　one　for　a　pound　in　any　curiosity　shop。　　I　advise　you　to　do　so；　

and　to　keep　…　as　I　have　seen　done　…　under　a　glass　case；　as　a　

delight　to　your　eyes；　one　of　the　most　exquisite；　both　for　form　and　

texture；　of　natural　objects。



Then　look　at　the　Hyalonemas；　or　glass…rope　ocean　floor　by　a　twisted　

wisp　of　strong　flexible　flint　needles；　somewhat　on　the　principle　of　

a　screw…pile。　　So　strange　and　complicated　is　their　structure；　that　

naturalists　for　a　long　while　could　literally　make　neither　head　nor　

tail　of　them；　as　long　as　they　had　only　Japanese　specimens　to　study；　

some　of　which　the　Japanese　dealers　had；　of　malice　prepense；　stuck　

upside　down　into　Pholas…borings　in　stones。　　Which　was　top　and　which　

bottom；　which　the　thing　itself；　and　which　special　parasites　growing　

on　it；　whether　it　was　a　sponge；　or　a　zoophyte；　or　something　else；　

at　one　time　even　whether　it　was　natural；　or　artificial　and　a　make…

up；　…　could　not　be　settled；　even　till　a　year　or　two　since。　　But　the　

discovery　of　the　same；　or　a　similar；　species　in　abundance　from　the　

Butt　of　the　Lows　down　to　Setubal　on　the　Portuguese　coast；　where　the　

deep…water　shark　fishers　call　it　〃sea…whip；〃　has　given　our　savants　

specimens　enough　to　make　up　their　minds　…　that　they　really　know　

little　or　nothing　about　it；　and　probably　will　never　know。



And　do　not　forget；　lastly；　to　ask；　whether　at　Liverpool　or　at　the　

British　Museum；　for　the　Holtenias　and　their　congeners；　…　hollow　

sponges　built　up　of　glassy　spicules；　and　rooted　in　the　mud　by　glass　

hairs；　in　some　cases　between　two　and　three　feet　long；　as　flexible　

and　graceful　as　tresses　of　snow…white　silk。



Look　at　these；　and　a　hundred　kindred　forms；　and　then　see　how　nature　

is　not　only　〃maxima　in　minimis〃　…　greatest　in　her　least；　but　often　

〃pulcherrima　in　abditis〃　…　fairest　in　her　most　hidden　works；　and　

how　the　Creative　Spirit　has　lavished；　as　it　were；　unspeakable　

artistic　skill　on　lowly…organized　creature；　never　till　now　beheld　

by　man；　and　buried；　not　only　in　foul　mud；　but　in　their　own　

unsightly　heap　of　living　jelly。



But　so　it　was　from　the　beginning；　…　and　this　planet　was　not　made　

for　man　alone。　　Countless　ages　before　we　appeared　on　earth　the　

depths　of　the　old　chalk…ocean　teemed　with　forms　as　beautiful　and　

perfect　as　those；　their　lineal　descendants；　which　the　dredge　now　

brings　up　from　the　Atlantic　sea…floor；　and　if　there　were　…　as　my　

reason　tells　me　that　there　must　have　been　…　final　moral　causes　for　

their　existence；　the　only　ones　which　we　have　a　right　to　imagine　are　

these　…　that　all；　down　to　the　lowest　Rhizopod；　might　delight　

themselves；　however　dimly；　in　existing；　and　that　the　Lord　might　

delight　Himself　in　them。



Thus；　much　…　alas！　how　little　…　about　the　wonders　of　the　deep。　　We；　

who　are　no　deep…sea　dredgers；　must　return　humbly　to　the　wonders　of　

the　shore。　　And　first；　as　after　descending　the　gap　in　the　sea…wall　

we　walk　along　the　ribbed　floor　of　hard　yellow　sand；　let　me　ask　you　

to　give　a　sharp　look…out　for　a　round　grey　disc；　about　as　big　as　a　

penny…piece；　peeping　out　on　the　surface。　　No；　that　is　not　it；　that　

little　lump：　　open　it；　and　you　will　find　within　one　of　the　common　

little　Venus　gallina。　…　The　closet　collectors　have　given　it　some　

new　name　now；　and　no　thanks　to　them：　　they　are　always　changing　the　

names；　instead　of　studying　the　live　animals　where　Nature　has　put　

them；　in　which　case　they　would　have　no　time　for　word…inventing。　　

Nay；　I　verify　suspect　that　the　names　grow；　like　other　things；　at　

least；　they　get　longer　and　longer　and　more　jaw…breaking　every　year。　　

The　little　bivalve；　however；　finding　itself　left　by　the　tide；　has　

wisely　shut　up　its　siphons；　and；　by　means　of　its　foot　and　its　

edges；　buried　itself　in　a　comfortable　bath　of　cool　wet　sand；　till　

the　sea　shall　come　back；　and　make　it　safe　to　crawl　and　lounge　about　

on　the　surface；　smoking　the　sea…water　instead　of　tobacco。　　Neither　

is　that　depression　what　we　seek。　　Touch　it；　and　out　poke　a　pair　of　

astonished　and　inquiring　horns：　　it　is　a　long…armed　crab；　who　saw　

us　coming；　and　wisely　shovelled　himself　into　the　sand　by　means　of　

his　nether…end。　　Corystes　Cassivelaunus　is　his　name；　which　he　is　

said　to　have　acquired　from　the　marks　on　his　back；　which　are　

somewhat　like　a　human　face。　　〃Those　long　antennae；〃　says　my　friend；　

Mr。　Lloyd　（6）　…　I　have　not　verified　the　fact；　but　believe　it；　as　he　

knows　a　great　deal　about　crabs；　and　I　know　next　to　nothing　…　〃form　

a　tube　through　which　a　current　of　water　passes　into　the　crab's　

gills；　free　from　the　surrounding　sand。〃　　Moreover；　it　is　only　the　

male　who　has　those　strangely　long　fore…arms　and　claws；　the　female　

contenting　herself　with　limbs　of　a　more　moderate　length。　　Neither　

is　that；　though　it　might　be；　the　hole　down　which　what　we　seek　has　

vanished：　　but　that　burrow　contains　one　of　the　long　white　razors　

which　you　saw　cast　on　shore　at　Paignton。　　The　boys　close　by　are　

boring　for　them　with　iron　rods　armed　with　a　screw；　and　taking　them　

in　to　sell　in　Torquay　market；　as　excellent　food。　　But　there　is　one；　

at　last　…　a　grey　disc　pouting　up　through　the　sand。　　Touch　it；　and　

it　is　gone　down；　quick　as　light。　　We　must　dig　it　out；　and　

carefully；　for　it　is　a　delicate　monster。　　At　last；　after　ten　

minutes'　careful　work；　we　have　brought　up；　from　a　foot　depth　or　

more　…　what？　　A　thick；　dirty；　slimy　worm；　without　head　or　tail；　

form　or　colour。　　A　slug　has　more　artistic　beauty　about　him。　　Be　it　

so。　　At　home　in　the　aquarium　（where；　alas！　he　will　live　but　for　a　

day　or　two；　under　the　new　irritation　of　light）　he　will　make　a　very　

different　figure。　　That　is　one　of　the　rarest　of　British　sea…

animals；　Peachia　hastata　（Pl。　XII。　Fig。　1）；　which　differs　from　most　

other　British　Actiniae　in　this；　that　instead　of　having　like　them　a　

walking　disc；　it　has　a　free　open　lower　end；　with　which　（I　know　not　

how）　it　buries　itself　upright　in　the　sand；　with　its　mouth　just　

above　the　surface。　　The　figure　on　the　left　of　the　plate　represents　

a　curious　cluster　of　papillae　which　project　from　one　side　of　the　

mouth；　and　are　the　opening　of　the　oviduct。　　But　his　value　consists；　

not　merely　in　his　beauty　（though　that；　really；　is　not　small）；　but　

in　his　belonging　to　what　the　long　word…makers　call　an　

〃interosculant〃　group；　…　a　party　of　genera　and　species　which　

connect　families　scientifically　far　apart；　filling　up　a　fresh　link　

in　the　great　chain；　or　rather　the　great　network；　of　zoological　

classification。　　For　here　we　have　a　simple；　and；　as　it　were；　crude　

form；　of　which；　if　we　dared　to　indulge　in　reveries；　we　might　say　

that　the　Creative　Mind　realized　it　before　either　Actiniae　or　

Holothurians；　and　then　went　on　to　perfect　the　idea　contained　in　it　

in　two　different　directions；　dividing　it　into　two　different　

families；　and　making　on　its　model；　by　adding　new　organs；　and　taking　

away　old　ones；　in　one　direction　the　whole　family　of　Actiniae　（sea…

anemones）；　and　in　a　quite　opposite　one　the　Holothuriae；　those　

strange　sea…cucumbers；　with　their　mouth…fringe　of　feathery　gills；　

of　which　you　shall　see　some　anon。　　Thus　there　has　been；　in　the　

Creative　Mind；　as　it　gave　life　to　new　species；　a　development　of　the　

idea　on　which　older　species　were　created；　in　order　…　we　may　fancy　…　

that　every　mesh　of　the　great　net　might　gradually　be　supplied；　and　

there　should　be　no　gaps　in　the　perfect　variety　of　Nature's　forms。　　

This　development　is　one　which　we　must　believe　to　be　at　least　

possible；　if　we　allow　that　a　Mind　presides　over　the　universe；　and　

not　a　mere　brute　necessity；　a　Law　（absurd　misnomer）　without　a　

Lawgiver；　and　to　it　（strangely　enough　coinciding　here　and　there　

with　the　Platonic　doctrine　of　Eternal　Ideas　existing　in　the　Divine　

Mind）　all　fresh　inductive　discovery　seems　to　point　more　and　more。



Let　me　speak　freely　a　few　words　on　this　important　matter。　　Geology　

has　disproved　the　old　popular　belief　that　the　universe　was　brought　

into　being　as　it　now　exists　by　a　single　fiat。　　We　know　that　the　

work　has　been　gradual；　that　the　earth





〃In　tracts　of　fluent　heat　began；

The　seeming　prey　of　cyclic　storms；

The　home　of　seeming　random　forms；

Till；　at　the　last；　arose　the　man。〃





And　we　know；　also；　that　these　forms；　〃seeming　random〃　as　they　are；　

have　appeared　according　to　a　law　which；　as　far　as　we　can　judge；　has　

been　on　the　whole　one　of　progress；　…　lower　animals　（though　we　

cannot　yet　say；　the　lowest）　appearing　first；　and　man；　the　highest　

mammal；　〃the　roof　and　crown　of　things；〃　one　of　the　latest　in　the　

series。　　We　have　no　more　right；　let　it　be　observed；　to　say　that　

man；　the　highest；　appeared