glaucus- 第7部分

question　after　all　is　one　of　experience：　　and　I　have　had　experience　

enough　and　to　spare　that　what　I　say　is　true。　　I　have　seen　the　young　

man　of　fierce　passions；　and　uncontrollable　daring；　expend　healthily　

that　energy　which　threatened　daily　to　plunge　him　into　recklessness；　

if　not　into　sin；　upon　hunting　out　and　collecting；　through　rock　and　

bog；　snow　and　tempest；　every　bird　and　egg　of　the　neighbouring　

forest。　　I　have　seen　the　cultivated　man；　craving　for　travel　and　for　

success　in　life；　pent　up　in　the　drudgery　of　London　work；　and　yet　

keeping　his　spirit　calm；　and　perhaps　his　morals　all　the　more　

righteous；　by　spending　over　his　microscope　evenings　which　would　too　

probably　have　gradually　been　wasted　at　the　theatre。　　I　have　seen　

the　young　London　beauty；　amid　all　the　excitement　and　temptation　of　

luxury　and　flattery；　with　her　heart　pure　and　her　mind　occupied　in　a　

boudoir　full　of　shells　and　fossils；　flowers　and　sea…weeds；　keeping　

herself　unspotted　from　the　world；　by　considering　the　lilies　of　the　

field；　how　they　grow。　　And　therefore　it　is　that　I　hail　with　

thankfulness　every　fresh　book　of　Natural　History；　as　a　fresh　boon　

to　the　young；　a　fresh　help　to　those　who　have　to　educate　them。



The　greatest　difficulty　in　the　way　of　beginners　is　（as　in　most　

things）　how　〃to　learn　the　art　of　learning。〃　　They　go　out；　search；　

find　less　than　they　expected；　and　give　the　subject　up　in　

disappointment。　　It　is　good　to　begin；　therefore；　if　possible；　by　

playing　the　part　of　〃jackal〃　to　some　practised　naturalist；　who　will　

show　the　tyro　where　to　look；　what　to　look　for；　and；　moreover；　what　

it　is　that　he　has　found；　often　no　easy　matter　to　discover。　　Forty　

years　ago；　during　an　autumn's　work　of　dead…leaf…searching　in　the　

Devon　woods　for　poor　old　Dr。　Turton；　while　he　was　writing　his　book　

on　British　land…shells；　the　present　writer　learnt　more　of　the　art　

of　observing　than　he　would　have　learnt　in　three　years'　desultory　

hunting　on　his　own　account；　and　he　has　often　regretted　that　no　

naturalist　has　established　shore…lectures　at　some　watering…place；　

like　those　up　hill　and　down　dale　field…lectures　which；　in　pleasant　

bygone　Cambridge　days；　Professor　Sedgwick　used　to　give　to　young　

geologists；　and　Professor　Henslow　to　young　botanists。



In　the　meanwhile；　to　show　you　something　of　what　may　be　seen　by　

those　who　care　to　see；　let　me　take　you；　in　imagination；　to　a　shore　

where　I　was　once　at　home；　and　for　whose　richness　I　can　vouch；　and　

choose　our　season　and　our　day　to　start　forth；　on　some　glorious　

September　or　October　morning；　to　see　what　last　night's　equinoctial　

gale　has　swept　from　the　populous　shallows　of　Torbay；　and　cast　up；　

high　and　dry；　on　Paignton　sands。



Torbay　is　a　place　which　should　be　as　much　endeared　to　the　

naturalist　as　to　the　patriot　and　to　the　artist。　　We　cannot　gaze　on　

its　blue　ring　of　water；　and　the　great　limestone　bluffs　which　bound　

it　to　the　north　and　south；　without　a　glow　passing　through　our　

hearts；　as　we　remember　the　terrible　and　glorious　pageant　which　

passed　by　in　the　glorious　July　days　of　1588；　when　the　Spanish　

Armada　ventured　slowly　past　Berry　Head；　with　Elizabeth's　gallant　

pack　of　Devon　captains　（for　the　London　fleet　had　not　yet　joined）　

following　fast　in　its　wake；　and　dashing　into　the　midst　of　the　vast　

line；　undismayed　by　size　and　numbers；　while　their　kin　and　friends　

stood　watching　and　praying　on　the　cliffs；　spectators　of　Britain's　

Salamis。　　The　white　line　of　houses；　too；　on　the　other　side　of　the　

bay；　is　Brixham；　famed　as　the　landing…place　of　William　of　Orange；　

the　stone　on　the　pier…head；　which　marks　his　first　footsteps　on　

British　ground；　is　sacred　in　the　eyes　of　all　true　English　Whigs；　

and　close　by　stands　the　castle　of　the　settler　of　Newfoundland；　Sir　

Humphrey　Gilbert；　Raleigh's　half…brother；　most　learned　of　all　

Elizabeth's　admirals　in　life；　most　pious　and　heroic　in　death。　　And　

as　for　scenery；　though　it　can　boast　of　neither　mountain　peak　nor　

dark　fiord；　and　would　seem　tame　enough　in　the　eyes　of　a　western　

Scot　or　Irishman；　yet　Torbay　surely　has　a　soft　beauty　of　its　own。　　

The　rounded　hills　slope　gently　to　the　sea；　spotted　with　squares　of　

emerald　grass；　and　rich　red　fallow　fields；　and　parks　full　of　

stately　timber　trees。　　Long　lines　of　tall　elms　run　down　to　the　very　

water's　edge；　their　boughs　unwarped　by　any　blast；　here　and　there　

apple　orchards　are　bending　under　their　loads　of　fruit；　and　narrow　

strips　of　water…meadow　line　the　glens；　where　the　red　cattle　are　

already　lounging　in　richest　pastures；　within　ten　yards　of　the　rocky　

pebble　beach。　　The　shore　is　silent　now；　the　tide　far　out：　　but　six　

hours　hence　it　will　be　hurling　columns　of　rosy　foam　high　into　the　

sunlight；　and　sprinkling　passengers；　and　cattle；　and　trim　gardens　

which　hardly　know　what　frost　and　snow　may　be；　but　see　the　flowers　

of　autumn　meet　the　flowers　of　spring；　and　the　old　year　linger　

smilingly　to　twine　a　garland　for　the　new。



No　wonder　that　such　a　spot　as　Torquay；　with　its　delicious　Italian　

climate；　and　endless　variety　of　rich　woodland；　flowery　lawn；　

fantastic　rock…cavern；　and　broad　bright　tide…sand；　sheltered　from　

every　wind　of　heaven　except　the　soft　south…east；　should　have　become　

a　favourite　haunt；　not　only　for　invalids；　but　for　naturalists。　　

Indeed；　it　may　well　claim　the　honour　of　being　the　original　home　of　

marine　zoology　and　botany　in　England；　as　the　Firth　of　Forth；　under　

the　auspices　of　Sir　J。　G。　Dalyell；　has　been　for　Scotland。　　For　here　

worked　Montagu；　Turton；　and　Mrs。　Griffith；　to　whose　extraordinary　

powers　of　research　English　marine　botany　almost　owes　its　existence；　

and　who　survived　to　an　age　long　beyond　the　natural　term　of　man；　to　

see；　in　her　cheerful　and　honoured　old　age；　that　knowledge　become　

popular　and　general　which　she　pursued　for　many　a　year　unassisted　

and　alone。　　Here；　too；　the　scientific　succession　is　still　

maintained　by　Mr。　Pengelly　and　Mr。　Gosse；　the　latter　of　whom　by　his　

delightful　and；　happily；　well…known　books　has　done　more　for　the　

study　of　marine　zoology　than　any　other　living　man。　　Torbay；　

moreover；　from　the　variety　of　its　rocks；　aspects；　and　sea…floors；　

where　limestones　alternate　with　traps；　and　traps　with　slates；　while　

at　the　valley…mouth　the　soft　sandstones　and　hard　conglomerates　of　

the　new　red　series　slope　down　into　the　tepid　and　shallow　waves；　

affords　an　abundance　and　variety　of　animal　and　vegetable　life；　

unequalled；　perhaps；　in　any　other　part　of　Great　Britain。　　It　cannot　

boast；　certainly；　of　those　strange　deep…sea　forms　which　Messrs。　　

Alder；　Goodsir；　and　Laskey　dredge　among　the　lochs　of　the　western　

Highlands；　and　the　sub…marine　mountain　glens　of　the　Zetland　sea；　

but　it　has　its　own　varieties；　its　own　ever…fresh　novelties：　　and　in　

spite　of　all　the　research　which　has　been　lavished　on　its　shores；　a　

naturalist　cannot；　I　suspect；　work　there　for　a　winter　without　

discovering　forms　new　to　science；　or　meeting　with　curiosities　which　

have　escaped　all　observers；　since　the　lynx　eye　of　Montagu　espied　

them　full　fifty　years　ago。



Follow　us；　then；　reader；　in　imagination；　out　of　the　gay　watering…

place；　with　its　London　shops　and　London　equipages；　along　the　broad　

road　beneath　the　sunny　limestone　cliff；　tufted　with　golden　furze；　

past　the　huge　oaks　and　green　slopes　of　Tor　Abbey；　and　past　the　

fantastic　rocks　of　Livermead；　scooped　by　the　waves　into　a　labyrinth　

of　double　and　triple　caves；　like　Hindoo　temples；　upborne　on　pillars　

banded　with　yellow　and　white　and　red；　a　week's　study；　in　form　and　

colour　and　chiaro…oscuro；　for　any　artist；　and　a　mile　or　so　further　

along　a　pleasant　road；　with　land…locked　glimpses　of　the　bay；　to　the　

broad　sheet　of　sand　which　lies　between　the　village　of　Paignton　and　

the　sea　…　sands　trodden　a　hundred　times　by　Montagu　and　Turton；　

perhaps；　by　Dillwyn　and　Gaertner；　and　many　another　pioneer　of　

science。　　And　once　there；　before　we　look　at　anything　else；　come　

down　straight　to　the　sea　marge；　for　yonder　lies；　just　left　by　the　

retiring　tide；　a　mass　of　life　such　as　you　will　seldom　see　again。　　

It　is　somewhat　ugly；　perhaps；　at　first　sight；　for　ankle…deep　are　

spread；　for　some　ten　yards　long　by　five　broad；　huge　dirty　bivalve　

shells；　as　large　as　the　hand；　each　with　its　loathly　grey　and　black　

siphons　hanging　out；　a　confused　mass　of　slimy　death。　　Let　us　walk　

on　to　some　cleaner　heap；　and　leave　these；　the　great　Lutraria　

Elliptica；　which　have　been　lying　buried　by　thousands　in　the　sandy　

mud；　each　with　the　point　of　its　long　siphon　above　the　surface；　

sucking　in　and　driving　out　again　the　salt　water　on　which　it　feeds；　

till　last　night's　ground…swell　shifted　the　sea…bottom；　and　drove　

them　up　hither　to　perish　helpless；　but　not　useless；　on　the　beach。



See；　close　by　is　another　shell　bed；　quite　as　large；　but　comely　

enough　to　please　any　eye。　　What　a　variety　of　forms　and　colours　are　

there；　amid　the　purple　and　olive　wreaths　of　wrack；　and　bladder…

weed；　and　tangle　（ore…weed；　as　they　call　it　in　the　south）；　and　the　

delicate　green　ribbons　of　the　Zostera　（the　only　English　flowering　

plant　which　grows　beneath　the　sea）。　　What　are　they　all？　　What　are　

the　long　white　razors？　　What　are　the　delicate　green…grey　scimitars？　　

What　are　the　tapering　brown　spires？　　What　the　tufts　of　delicate　

yellow　plants　like　squirrels'　tails；　and　lobsters'　horns；　and　

tamarisks；　and　fir…trees；　and　all　other　finely　cut　animal　and　

vegetable　forms？　　What　are　the　groups　of　grey　bladders；　with　

something　like　a　little　bud　at　the　tip？　　What　are　the　hundreds　of　

little　pink…striped　pears？　　What　those　tiny　babies'　heads；　covered　

with　grey　prickles　instead　of　hair？　　The　great　red　star…fish；　which　

Ulster　children　call　〃the　bad　man's　hands；〃　and　the　great　whelks；　

which　the　youth　of　Musselburgh　know　as　roaring　buckies；　these　we　

have　seen　before；　but　what；　oh　what；　are　the　red　capsicums？　…



Yes；　what　are　the　red　capsicums？　and　why　are　they　poking；　snapping；　

starting；　crawling；　tumbl